


Ghosts of Antarctica

by Rybe



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Clothed Sex, Cold Weather, Enthusiastic Consent, Frotting, Handcuffs, Heavy Drinking, Huddling For Warmth, Light Bondage, M/M, Paranormal, Sexting, Sparring, competitive spooning, medium burn?, might be an understatement, sake, surprisingly healthy relationship all things considered, the fuzzy kind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-02-15 09:08:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 42,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13027815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rybe/pseuds/Rybe
Summary: What should have been a quick and simple retrieval mission to Ecopoint Antarctica takes a strange turn when Hanzo discovers he’s not alone.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Because why not torture myself with a rare pair?

Hanzo shivered as he trudged through the snow. The biting Antarctic winds, however, were not the only source of his chills. The abandoned Ecopoint gave Hanzo a sense of unrest. Knowing the unfortunate fates that befell most of the scientists was one thing, but seeing the facility was another. Hanzo lived a lonely, solitary life, but never before had he felt so isolated. Yet at the same time, he found himself constantly glancing over his shoulder, unable to shake the feeling he was not alone.

The wind howled through the vacant buildings causing frightful moans and high pitched whistles. Occasional creaks and rattles sounded through the complex as the fatigued metal fought valiantly against the merciless gales. Snow blew across the lifeless expanse, twisting and weaving through the buildings. Occasionally Hanzo could have sworn he saw ghostly forms in the dancing snow.

Hanzo dragged a sled loaded with supplies to the main engineering building. He had enough power packs to get the computers up and running for a while. More than enough power to finish his mission, at least. He had been hired to retrieve some additional data Mei accidentally left behind. Was it the kind of mission a team of trained personnel should undertake? Most likely. But they didn’t have money for a team, and Hanzo didn’t particularly care about the risk. He had traveled the world over, he might as well check Antarctica off his list. 

Light poured into the engineering building through several large, intact, and surprisingly ice free skylights, revealing a scene that quickly depleted Hanzo’s optimism. The relentless ice and winds broke their way into the building at some point, leaving small snow drifts piled up in the corners, and ice caking the computers. The damage looked extensive. At least he brought along an assortment of tools to repair the systems, fully expecting to perform some repairs. Hopefully the data recovery wouldn’t be beyond his abilities.

A crowbar made quick work of the computer’s front panel, removing it with a loud crack. Ice rained down as Hanzo peered inside. Ice crystals clung to wires and circuit boards, but not nearly as many as he expected. Small blessing at least. Hanzo swept snow off the electronics with a heavily mitted hand, and got to work. As he tinkered with the depths of the computer, the hairs on the back of his neck stood; he felt like he was being watched. Hanzo glanced around, but upon seeing nothing returned to his work. If the place was so haunted, he assumed the dragons would be restless.

A few minutes later, Hanzo heard what sounded like the scuff of a boot. He rose to his feet this time, surveying the room. How could snow and wind have made _that_? But once again he saw nothing but snow drifts and cold walls. 

Hanzo turned slowly back to his work, thoroughly unsettled. Though before he could kneel back down he felt something hard press against the back of his head: the barrel of a gun. Hanzo froze, his hands raising in surrender. He glanced up at the darkened monitors and saw the blurry reflection of his attacker. Hanzo’s heart nearly stopped. A figure dressed all in white, with two gaping black holes for eyes, staring out from a silver white skull visage. 

Once his racing mind slowed long enough for rational thoughts to form, he recognized that owl like face, or that mask, to be more precise. Granted, he had never seen him dressed in white before.

“Ah, The Reaper, is it?” Hanzo asked, pleased at how smug his voice came out, not betraying a hint of his unease. 

The white clad figure growled. “Reaper works just fine.”

“Well then...Reaper. Is this because I would not join you? Seems like quite a trip to make just to kill me.” Hanzo hissed. Reaper’s mask canted to the side ever so slightly.

“...What?”

Hanzo narrowed his eyes. “I, twice now, have rejected your _friends’_ offers to join Talon. I stand by my decision.”

Reaper hummed. “Probably a good choice”

Hanzo’s hands dropped ever so slightly. Not the response he was expecting. “Are you here to kill me or not?”

“Depends. What are you doing here?”

“I am gathering scientific data that Dr. Zhou accidentally neglected to retrieve,” Hanzo replied, honestly. His mission was hardly top secret.

The shotgun dug into Hanzo’s scalp, forcing him forward, then moments later disappeared altogether. “What an interesting coincidence.”

Hanzo finally spun on the wraith, he did not appreciate having a gun to his head, but at least the threat had passed. For now. Reaper’s outfit looked remarkably similar to what Hanzo had seen before, if slightly thicker with no doubt extremely high tech insulation. Chrome highlights glinted from the belt slung crooked over his shapely hips. Matching silver shown from his claws, and his mask. Hanzo was extremely annoyed to note he actually looked quite good. “If you are not after me, then what are you doing here?”

“I also require access to the computers. Maybe we could help each other out,” Reaper said, with the faintest lilt. Hanzo couldn’t tell if it was supposed to be sarcasm, or if he was simply taunting him. Who knew what nefarious business Talon could possibly be up to with the Ecopoint’s computer. Then again, with the extent of the damage, two sets of hands would be better than one. Perhaps he could stall the inevitable fight until after he got his data.

“Very well.”

With very little preamble, the two got to work, keeping an exceptionally suspicious eye on one another. At least for the first hour. After that their mutual annoyance with the broken computer started to win out. It seemed they had both been assured the systems would not be in as bad of shape as they were. Between the two of them, however, they had all the tools they could possibly need. Hopefully

Fumbling with thick mitts also made everything twice as frustrating. Even Reaper, as inhuman as he was, did not seem immune to the cold, considering the man didn’t bother to take off his clawed gloves when they found themselves struggling with screws and fine connections. Though he had a bit more dexterity with his claws than Hanzo would have expected, Hanzo still had to remove his outer mitts several times. The inner gloves provided protection against contacting the cold metal, but didn’t help keep his hands all that warm.

Hanzo watched with no small amount of amusement as Reaper half crawled in the open control panel. His coat draping over round butt, which waved in the air as he struggled with…whatever he was doing in there. Hanzo shook his head, again scolding himself for admiring the view, and moved to the power cell. They’d been getting intermittent power, might as well make sure it was seeded correctly.

Hanzo pulled the cell out and checked the dock. There was in fact a chunk of ice in there. He picked it out, and settled the power cell back in place.

Immediately he heard hear loud sparking crack. “Shit!” Reaper barked, followed by a loud thump as he slammed his head on the inside of the console, “BITCH.”

Hanzo struggled to hold back his snickers as Reaper crawled back out. He looked remarkably sullen for someone who’s entire face was covered by a skull mask. He turned what could only have been a glare on Hanzo, rubbing the back of his head.

Hanzo cleared his throat, swallowing down the last of his laughter. Hopefully. “Ah, there was a piece of ice interfering with the power cell’s connection,” he explained. Reaper just growled. But at least Reaper’s pain hadn’t all been for nothing. The large monitors finally flickered on, with an unhelpful message of _no signal_. Still, progress.

As they worked, the wind began howling louder and louder. They wedged the door shut early on to keep more snow from blowing into the computer, and had to do so again with an old chair after the wind blew it back open. Going on about hour three, Reaper suddenly stopped working, standing straight and pressing a claw to his ear.

“Repeat that?”

Hanzo paused, watching the wraith suspiciously. An earpiece, of course.

“You can’t be serious…” Reaper grumbled, his voice low and deadly. He listened to the response, before cutting in angrily. “It was supposed to be clear!” Another pause as he lolled his head back in exasperation. “Fine...fine. If we left now would... yes we- shut- it’s a long story. If we left now could we make it?”

Hanzo’s stomach sank, that couldn’t be good.

“How long? That isn’t an answer- I’m serious how- for...FINE.” Reaper growled, raking his claws down his mask. He looked back to Hanzo. “So. A polar storm is blowing in. According to my team it would be unsafe at this point to try and pilot my transport out of here. And from the looks of yours, I doubt you’d be any better off.”

“What? The forecast was clear!” Hanzo snapped.

“That’s what I said.”

“This is absurd.”

“I agree, but we should grab the rest of our resources from the transports, all food, first aid, equipment, power cells, everything, and set up camp in here. If we chip the ice out of the door we should be able to get this place pretty weather tight in short order,” Reaper said, as if he was ordering around subordinates.

“Oh no, I am not staying here with the likes of you. I am leaving before the storm worsens,” Hanzo said, marching for the door. Reaper grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Hanzo spun, baring his teeth. “Do not touch me–”

“I don’t think you understood the ‘out transports won’t make it out of this storm’ part. You will crash and die.”

“And why would that concern you?” Hanzo spat.

“Because it would be stupid? Besides, the computer’s not online yet, you could still be useful.”

“Like I would believe you. What is this? All some elaborate ploy to make me join Talon?” Hanzo hissed, suddenly bristling, jerking his arm out of Reaper’s grip. He knew it was foolish to let his guard down around this man. The forecast was clear for the entire week, there was no way a storm powerful enough to down his transport just blew in.

“What? No. I could care less about you joining Talon, we already have a sniper. And I have no idea why they would want to recruit some idiot archer.”

“Some _idiot archer_?”

“Who brings a bow to a gun fight, anyway?”

“I can arrange for a demonstration,” Hanzo snarled.

“Oh?” Reaper purred, his voice thick with mockery. “Am I supposed to be afraid of the wandering nobody?”

Hanzo clenched his jaw. “At least I am my own man. And not Doomfist’s bitch.”

“Are you looking for a fight, pretty boy?” Reaper said, drawing close, his movements unnaturally smooth, blocking the way out as he came face to face with Hanzo, trying to loom over him. Hanzo stood his ground, glaring back with enough ferocity to cow a feral dog. 

“Try me.”

A low growl rumbled from behind the mask. Their faces were so close together now, Hanzo was sure he would have smelled his breath if it weren’t for the mask.

Hanzo scoffed as the stare down dragged on, and Reaper failed to make a move. “All talk. I thought as much,” he said, beginning to step around Reaper back towards the transports. That finally caused him to act, a clawed glove again reaching out to grab him. Hanzo deflected the arm, and ducked the punch that came shortly after, returning the attack in kind. 

The two went back and forth for a while, fierce swings all deftly dodged or blocked, neither managing to land a blow. Though it didn’t take long for Hanzo to become acutely aware of the fact that his opponent had metal clawed gloves, while he had fluffy down mitts. But he never said no to a challenge.

Finally Hanzo managed to land a sweeping kick behind Reaper’s knees, knocking him off balance and to the ground. Or it would have, if Reaper hadn’t turned into black mist half way down and reformed on his feet. 

“Cheater,” Hanzo hissed.

Reaper laughed, almost sounding sincere. “It’s not cheating to work with what you have.”

Reaper came at him again, and they returned to trading blows, or trading blocks. Occasionally one or the other would get a weak body shot through, but on the whole they seemed equally matched.

Soon enough the cold was chased away entirely, and Hanzo found himself sweating instead, generally a dangerous proposition for this kind of environment, but he wasn’t about to let Reaper win. Almost more distressing, he slowly realized he was actually enjoying himself. His opponent was proving to be more of a challenge than he’d faced in a while. And if Hanzo wasn’t mistaken, the feeling was mutual. Though he couldn’t see Reaper’s face, his moves seemed to become looser, and his various grunts and hisses of exertion somehow sounded almost good natured, if such a thing was possible.

Finally Reaper managed to grab Hanzo, a triumphant laugh escaping him as he tried to twist the smaller man into a submission hold. Except for Hanzo managed to shift his momentum, whirl around, and drive his knee straight into Reaper’s diaphragm. 

Hanzo was almost surprised when Reaper gasped and staggered back, half doubled over. Well, at least the mist creature seemed to have internal organs sometimes. Another swift, firm kick to the chest left Reaper sprawled on the cold floor. 

Reaper rolled to his side, slowly pushing himself up as Hanzo readied himself for another attack.

“Good one,” Reaper wheezed.

“You are not unskilled yourself,” Hanzo panted, only a little reluctantly. He had to admit, the fight was possibly the most fun he’d had in months. “But it was folly to believe you could defeat me.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. Seriously though. If you try to take off in your transport you’ll die. I’m not any more excited about staying here than you are. But you hear that? It’s already gotten worse,” Reaper said, holding a clawed finger in the air. Hanzo went quiet, listening. The wind did seem to be howling with even more ferocity than before. 

Hanzo swore under his breath. As much as Hanzo didn’t want to trust him, the wraith was probably right. “Fine. You said you have extra provisions in your transport?”

“Yes, we should get them before it’s too dangerous to step foot outside. I assume you have more supplies too?” Reaper asked, Hanzo nodded. “Right, let’s move.”

The two hastily unloaded Hanzo’s sled, and tethered themselves to it so neither they, nor the sled, would get lost in the wind and snow. 

Hanzo regretted working up a sweat the second they stepped outside. The wind nearly knocked them both over at first, but they managed to make their way to the transports–Reaper parked his literally right next to Hanzo’s, he must have arrived mere minutes after Hanzo. They gathered everything they could possibly use from the two aircraft. Hanzo silently bemoaned the fact that neither craft was suitable for acting as a shelter. The air recirculation systems didn’t work very well without motion or fuel, and adding suffocation to the risk of freezing seemed foolhardy at best. After the transports, they scavenged the Ecopoint’s crew quarters to gather up extra blankets, and what little preserved food the Ecopoint had left.

It took nearly half an hour for them to clear enough of the ice and snow to get a proper seal on the door. The latch and lock were damaged, but they managed to jam it shut with a chair leg. By the time they pushed the door shut they had to fight against the screeching wind to get it closed. A hush fell over the room as the door finally settled into place. 

The men breathed a sigh of relief, Hanzo leaning against the door, half afraid it would fly open again. Here he was, trapped in a room in Antarctica with Reaper of all people. Hanzo’s eyes drifted across his new temporary home. A room with very little privacy. Though at least they had access to a bathroom, even if the toilet didn’t work in the strictest sense.

“We’re going to need some more heat in here or things are going to get really unpleasant…” Reaper grumbled, their moment of triumph ended.

Hanzo nodded, marching to the sled. They’d dragged in a pair of portable heaters, though it was questionable whether one of them still worked since they found it in the crew quarters. Hanzo decided to plug in the most likely operable one first.

Nothing happened. He tried another outlet. Still nothing.

“I don’t think it’s getting power,” Reaper said. Hanzo glared.

“Your powers of observation are astounding…”

With that, they went back to their original task: trying to get the computer back online. There was most likely some settings that were interfering with the outlets.

After what felt like an eternity, the computer finally came fully back to life. And not a second too soon; Hanzo was shivering in his snow boots. They needed those heaters turned on. On top of the sweat that refused to evaporate, he could have sworn the temperature dropped. He hurried to the command console, trying to see if he could get power to the outlets. The wiring was fine, they’d checked that many times over. Reaper drifted up behind him, looming over his shoulder. Hanzo shot him a glare.

“Do you mind?”

Reaper grunted in response, and sauntered away, leaving Hanzo to his business.

Hanzo typed in the access codes his employers provided. He found the power systems, and confirmed that yes, power simply was not being provided to the outlets. Hanzo tried to turn the power on, but the system wouldn’t let him. His brow furrowed as he tried again, only to have his access blocked. He ventured another angle of attack. No luck.

As Hanzo struggled with the computer, he heard Reaper drumming his claws, the rhythmic tinking of the metal against metal quickly fraying Hanzo’s nerves. Hanzo tried his best to ignore him. The ghostly figure leaned against a desk, looking painfully casual, silently watching. Despite the mask, he seemed smug. It made Hanzo bristle. Occasionally when Hanzo would try another way around the system lockout he would catch the white mask tilt out of the corner of his eye, or he would hear a faint grunt. The grunts sounding amused may have been Hanzo’s own imagination, but he also wouldn’t have been surprised. 

_Access denied. Access denied._ The message popped up so frequently Hanzo’s eyelid started twitching every time he saw it. Why was this happening? They gave him the access codes to prevent this sort of problem. This wasn’t some sort of in depth hacking mission. It was simple data recovery! As if the storm hadn’t thrown enough of a wrench in that, now this? He just wanted to turn on the damn heater.

Hanzo rubbed his hands together and shook himself. The cold thoroughly sinking into his bones now. He brought his hands to his mouth, breathing on his icy, stinging fingers. He glanced over his shoulder to see Reaper casually inspecting his claws in much the same way Hanzo would expect to see someone examining their manicure. 

“Need some help?” Reaper asked with a tinge of amusement in that growl of a voice.

“No. They gave me the codes. This should be working.”

“It won’t work without command codes,” Reaper said.

Hanzo turned, glaring. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t it?”

“The computer is prioritizing power to the stasis pods. Trying to reroute what minimal power we’ve given it would kill the stasis occupants if we didn’t initiate wake up procedures first.” 

Hanzo’s scowl deepened. “The occupants are long dead.”

“The computer doesn’t know that,” Reaper said, casually, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “The sensors are obviously faulty, considering what happened.”

“Then I just need to have it run the wake up procedure then it should let us-”

“That won’t work. It already woke Mei, and probably attempted to wake the others, but again, the sensors are faulty. It will never recognize the wake up routine.” Reaper finally pushed himself away from the desk, and strode over with a cocky swagger that made Hanzo’s blood boil, and not simply from indignation. A fact that perhaps made him all the angrier. The idea of finding the sway of Reaper’s hips appealing was absolutely absurd. Even if the stupid ammunition belts emphasized their shape and his thick thighs- 

Reaper shouldered Hanzo out of the way, his claws tapping away at the keyboard. Hanzo folded his arms tightly, stepping aside, fuming. Though his frustration was mildly assuaged a few moments later.

_Access denied._

“Ah, I see your plan is working perfectly,” Hanzo said, bouncing on his toes, trying to shake away the cold. Reaper growled quietly, typing away.

_Access denied. Access denied._

Finally, a new screen appeared. _”Voice authorization required. Please state your command code.”_

Reaper’s hands hesitated over the keyboard as Hanzo smirked, vindicated. Voice authorization wasn’t going to help them either. 

Reaper sighed. “I guess it’s this or freezing to death…”

_”Input invalid. Please restate code.”_

“Reyes, bravo, five eight nine five sierra.” 

_”Voice recognition failed. Please restate code.”_

Hanzo laughed. “I have Dr. Zhou’s voice commands too, if you think you could muster a better impersonation of her.”

If someone could roll their eyes with their entire body, Reaper managed it. He held out a hand, not even bothering to look at Hanzo. “Give me your canteen.”

“What...why…”

The white mask turned ever so slowly to face Hanzo. He could have sworn he detected a glare in those emotionless holes for eyes. 

“Do you want to freeze to death out here?”

Hanzo suppressed his bitter grumble as he unhooked his canteen, still suspicious of the entire plan. But anything was worth a shot. Hopefully he didn’t just dump the thing over the keyboard in a fit of rage.

Reaper snatched the canteen from Hanzo’s grip before he even held it out. He tipped the mask back, just far enough to reveal his mouth. Hanzo caught himself staring, mostly out of surprise. He expected there to be something horrific under there, maybe ghastly white or at least something heavily scarred and twisted. All he saw was relatively normal looking dark skin and a goatee. Was there actually a normal human under there? Well, _normal_ would be a stretch, all things considered. But vaguely normal looking.

He took a few long swigs of water, as Hanzo tried to ignore the fact he had been drinking out of that canteen all afternoon, and now Reaper had gone and put his lips all over it. He hadn’t exactly thought to pack dish soap. Reaper tilted his head back, gargling the last mouthful of water before spitting it unceremoniously on the floor, the liquid near instantly turning into a trail of ice. He thrust the canteen against Hanzo’s chest, clearing his throat a few more times before turning back to the computer.

His voice came out a little clearer when he spoke again. He seemed to be putting a concerted effort into not growling. “Reyes, bravo, five eight nine five sierra.” 

_”Voice authorization accepted. Welcome Commander Reyes,”_ the computer intoned cheerfully. Hanzo stared, dumbfounded. 

Either Overwatch had exceptionally shoddy voice recognition technology (that voice didn’t sound too much like the old interviews with Commander Reyes Hanzo could remember) or the computer could pick up on something he couldn’t and…

“You could stop staring at any time.”

“You...you are…Reyes...”

“Commander Reyes died.”

“The computer would not have accepted such a poor impersonation.”

Reaper let out a long sigh. He pulled his mask the rest of the way off revealing none other than Gabriel Reyes. He had aged, of course, with flecks of gray in his goatee and tightly trimmed hair, though he still appeared younger than he should. He was as handsome as ever, with his strong jaw and rugged features. The sight did nothing to curb Hanzo’s urge to stare. 

“I suppose we’re going to be stuck here for a while anyway. And it was getting stuffy under there. I assume it goes without saying that if you breathe a word to this to anyone you will regret not freezing to death out here. Hypothermia would be a merciful end compared to what I would bring down on you.”

“Of course…”

“I’m glad we have an understanding.”

Hanzo forced himself to look back at the screen, suddenly remembering the horribly embarrassing crush he had on Commander Reyes as a teenager. He remembered a particular Overwatch “pinup” calendar he found as a boy. There was really nothing titillating about it, everyone was fully clothed, just some charity calendar photo shoot that was more silly than anything else. Reyes was Mr. October. He stood amongst a smattering of pumpkins, elbow propped up on the shoulder of a skeleton, the skeleton’s missing head in his off hand. He had a cocksure grin, hips canted, holding the skull up in a sad attempt at a Shakespearean pose, while an angry nurse reached from out of frame to take back their anatomical model. And now that guy posing with the skeleton was Reaper. 

Apparently he was always like this. 

Despite the obvious attempt at humor, something about that photo made young Hanzo’s heart lodge in his throat. He ripped the picture out and squirreled it away in his desk—his family was not fond of Overwatch, after all—and kept it for probably a couple years. 

He pushed the memory aside. And buried it under fifty tons of rubble. No. No. Not thinking about that _ever again_.

A few inputs later, the space heater finally hummed to life. Reaper and Hanzo breathed simultaneous sighs of relief, then shifted awkwardly, ignoring it. 

“Well, that should keep hypothermia at bay at least,” Reaper grumbled, looking around the unfortunately large space they found themselves barricaded in. “Probably won’t make for a comfortable time, but it will help.”

“Did they say how long the storm would last?” Hanzo asked. 

Reaper shook his head, scowling. “She just giggled when I asked. So I’m guessing a while. But she didn’t suggest rationing so hopefully not too long. Then again, who knows with her.”

With the more immediate risks to life and limb abated Hanzo rocked back on his heels, finally wondering what _exactly_ he was going to do for at least a few days trapped in a confined space with Gabriel “Reaper” Reyes.

Reaper turned the computer display off and folded his arms, staring at the blackened screen. 

“So. Bring any board games?” Reaper finally broke the long stretch of silence, glancing over his shoulder at Hanzo with a faint glimmer of that familiar cocksure grin. Hanzo just scowled in response. 

“Yes. I take my mahjong set with me everywhere.”

Reaper blinked, looking optimistic. “Really?”

“No.”  
“Damn…”

Hanzo shook his head and strode over to the heater. He knelt down in front of it, holding his hands out to the heat. His fingers were red, stiff, and stinging. He had to remove his gloves while working on the computer. There was no way he was getting frostbite over this stupid mission.

“Careful, don’t burn yourself,” Reaper said as he drifted by, moving to plug in the other heater.

“I will be fine.”

“If your hands are numb you won’t be able to tell–”

“I am well aware of the basics of cold weather survival.”

“I’d just rather not be stuck here with someone who has burnt sausage nubs for hands. You wouldn’t be very useful.”

“Your concern is touching,” Hanzo said with a smirk. For as much as Hanzo hated this situation, and distrusted Reaper, there was something amusing underlying the whole thing. Neither could escape the absurdity of their situation.

“It’s a shame we don’t have the power to run the actual heat system.”

“If it even still worked.”

“True…” Reaper said, settling on the floor next to Hanzo, in front of his own heater. It sputtered a little weaker than Hanzo’s, but it still worked. Small victories, at least.

The two sat in silence as the circulation slowly returned to Hanzo’s hands. He flexed his fingers, grateful no harm seemed to have been done. Once the worst of his chill dissipated, Hanzo left the pool of warmth and began inventorying their supplies. He decided, regardless of Reaper’s compatriot’s vague message, they should ration their supplies, saving the dubious Ecopoint rations for last. They may have been preserved with the same technique developed for deep space travel, but Hanzo didn’t trust them. He set out portions, determined a system for capturing snow for water, and divided up the bedding. Reaper just grunted in approval with every declaration and suggestion Hanzo made. Though Hanzo was unsure if it was because he actually agreed or that he simply didn’t want to bother arguing over it.

When what little daylight made its way through the windows began to fade, deep shadows began encroaching from every corner of the room, held at bay only by the faint orange glow of their heaters. Hanzo was forced to abandon his busy work and returned to the warmth. He surreptitiously watched Reaper, the other man hunkered down, the massive clawed gloves finally removed, normal, human hands stretched out towards the heat. He looked miserable.

Hanzo had mixed feelings about Overwatch. Of course on the one hand he admired their skills, and the fact that they ended the Omnic crisis. Then again his family had plenty of reason to hate them. Not to mention Hanzo was just as susceptible to the anti-Overwatch public sentiment as anyone else. Then, to top it all off, of course, was the revelation about his brother. 

If his feelings weren’t complicated enough, the fact remained that Reyes was also, undeniably, still gorgeous. 

The silence stretched on for a long while as the two sat trying to fight off their shivers. Despite their attempts to seal the room, Hanzo could have sworn it was still getting colder. Perhaps it was just the boredom. They needed a distraction. And one question had been buzzing in Hanzo’s mind since he discovered Reaper’s true identity.

“So,” Hanzo finally broke the silence, Reaper raised a brow, finally turning to face him. Hanzo cleared his throat, doing his best to sound impassive. “You knew my brother…”

To Hanzo’s surprise a soft, almost fond smile crept onto Reaper’s face. He chuckled, turning back to the heater.

“Genji? Yeah. He was one of mine. A real piece of work. Nearly finished the job for you a few times.” Reaper chuckled. Hanzo winced. “The command hierarchy never sat too well with him. After a while he decided he didn’t really like how we ran things. And now I guess he’s all zen and has an Omnic boyfriend? I mean, he was always one to walk his own path.”

Hanzo blinked at him. Omnic boyfriend? Now that was something he hadn’t heard…

Reaper smirked, catching Hanzo’s owl-eyed stare. “What can I say? I like keeping tabs on my boys…” Hanzo went motionless as Reaper’s gaze swept over him, scrutinizing. “I have to say, I’m a little surprised by you. From the stories Genji told, I figured you would be a little more…” he trailed off, searching for a word.

“Cruel?” Hanzo offered reluctantly.

“...Spoiled.”

Hanzo scoffed. “Spoiled? Genji was the spoiled one…”

Reaper laughed, a surprisingly warm sound. “Yeah, I could tell.”

Hanzo cracked a smile despite himself. “He was impossible.”

“Agreed. But imagine him with an even bigger chip on his shoulder and cyborg augmentations.”

“I cannot blame him for being angry,” Hanzo said, his gaze drifting to the floor. He couldn’t blame Genji for anything, after what he did.

He heard, more than saw the rustle of cloth as Reaper shrugged. “Shit happens.”

Hanzo’s gaze snapped back to Reaper, indignant. “I tried to murder my brother. That does not merely _happen_.”

Reaper gave Hanzo a small, knowing smile. “Look, I read the files on your family. I would’ve been more surprised if something like that _hadn’t_ happened.”

“I suppose that’s a...generous assessment,” Hanzo grumbled.

Reaper laughed darkly. “I saw more than my fair share of shit with Overwatch. Humans don't need Omnics for an enemy. Humanity’s worst enemy is itself.”

Hanzo grunted and nodded. There was certainly no denying that.

The conversation faded away as Hanzo stared into the warm orange glow of the heaters. A million questions rattled in his head about Genji, none of which he could bring himself to ask. They sat silently for a long while, Hanzo almost meditative as the warm air blew across his chilled skin, slowly soaking through his multitude of layers, helping to finally dry the last of the sweat he foolishly worked up earlier.

Suddenly, without warning, Reaper let out a growl and bolted to his feet. He drew a pair of twin shotguns from inside his coat; strangely, Hanzo never saw the weapons during their fight. Reaper whirled around, guns at the ready, a fierce snarl on his face. Hanzo scrambled to his feet, regretting leaving his bow with the rest of the supplies. He scanned the room, and saw nothing. 

Reaper’s eyes darted from corner to corner, his scowl sliding into a look of confusion. He spun several times, scanning the area, glancing back at the great, black bank of screens beyond the heaters several times.

“What was it?” Hanzo snapped.

“I swear I saw…” He looked around several more times before lowering his shotguns in defeat. “I...hm...I guess my eyes are playing tricks on me,” he grumbled. Hanzo ran a hand down his face.

“I thought cabin fever took more than a few hours to set in.”

Reaper shot Hanzo a sour look, then shook his head, resigned and tired. “It’s late. I’m going to sleep.” With that he marched off to gather up his share of the bedding, and bundled up next to his heater. Hanzo gathered up his blankets as well. Sleeping through as much of this ordeal as he could was probably for the best anyway.

Hanzo slept miserably, shivering and stiff, his bulky layers binding as he tried to get comfortable. Calling it “sleeping” was probably a stretch, and from how much his companion tossed and turned, he suspected Reaper was in the same boat. 

A few hours later, both men shot upright, startled from their attempts at sleep. Whispers filled the air, coming from every direction. A chill ran down Hanzo’s spine, and his tattoo seemed to tingle. He couldn’t make out any of the words, too many voices spoke at once.

“You...hear that too?” Reaper asked hesitantly, staring around the space, wide eyed, looking as alarmed as Hanzo felt. 

“Yes…”

Reaper swallowed, scrambling to his feet, dragging one of his blankets with him, wrapped around his shoulders like a drab blue cape. “Is it coming from the speakers?”

“It seems like it’s coming from everywhere…” Hanzo said, though he preferred the speaker hypothesis to the other options scratching away at his mind. The whispers made his hair stand on end and his skin crawl. The air felt...wrong.

Reaper strode over to the computer console to investigate. It took him a few moments of fumbling in the dark before the screens flipped on. Hanzo winced as blue-white light poured from the monitors. The whispers abruptly stopped. The two stood motionless in uneasy silence, straining to hear. The only sounds in the room was the quiet hum of the heaters and the howl of wind. 

“There...there must be a short in the computer somewhere. Maybe it was playing log entries?” Reaper offered, his voice strained. He didn’t sound overly impressed with his own theory, but Hanzo was happy to agree with it anyway. Reaper flicked the computer screens back off, both men listening intently for the whispers to return. The room remained quiet. 

“This place just gets more and more charming by the minute,” Reaper grumbled, dragging a hand down his tired features. “God, I could use a drink. I don’t suppose you brought a flask,” Reaper asked, his half sarcastic tone indicating he firmly expected the answer to be no. Hanzo agreed though, he too could really use a drink.

“Actually…” Hanzo said, drawing a surprised look from Reaper. He held up a hand, signaling for Reaper to wait as he went to rifle through their supplies. He found two tin cups and his sizeable jug of sake, which he brought back to the heater with a triumphant smirk. It’s not like after that scare he was going to go back to sleep any time soon.

He settled down on his pile of blankets, pouring them each a cup, glad to see only a few ice crystals flow out; he half expected it to be frozen by now.

“What is it?” Reaper asked, settling down next to Hanzo. He picked up his proffered cup, looking downright delighted.

“Sake.”

“Should have guessed,” Reaper said taking a sip. He nodded in approval, and gestured to the jug as Hanzo enjoyed his own first sip. He welcomed the feeling of the cold liquid settling warmly in his gut. “That is what I would call a shitload of sake. You, my friend, may have a drinking problem.” Reaper teased with a crooked grin, Hanzo frowned.

“I was not going to drink it all at once,” Hanzo said defensively. “Though...you are probably correct.” He shrugged, taking another sip.

Reaper laughed. “Ah, well, at least you got the good stuff,” he said, taking another long drink. Hanzo reflexively topped off his sake when he Reaper lowered his cup. Some habits would probably never die. Reaper chuckled at the gesture, returning the favor. 

“I would be careful though, this one is quite strong.”

“Noted. All the better to warm us up, as far as I’m concerned.”

“You know, alcohol does not actually warm you up,” Hanzo said. Reaper shrugged.

“Yeah, but right now I don’t really give a damn,” he said, raising his cup in a parody of a toast. “To bad habits. And this haunted, godforsaken place.” 

Hanzo tapped his cup against Reaper’s with a sad, dull click, smirking. “ _Kanpai._ ”

They drank in silence for a while, neither overly eager to discuss the...off putting thing they just experienced. Both kept a vigilant eye on the shadows of the room. After a while the decided to drag a desk over, tipping it on its side, giving them something to lean against, though Hanzo suspected they were both just relieved to have something at their backs.

“Once I was leading a group of men into this miserable, armpit of a jungle to track some guerilla group,” Reaper said after a time. “Got bit by shit every five seconds despite wearing as much bug spray as we possibly could. Tripped on vines and roots every other step. This...hideous thick clay just caked to your boots with every step. So many birds, pissed of monkeys, horny frogs, and shrieking insects you could barely hear yourself think,” Reaper paused, staring off into the distance with the faintest smirk, as if the hell he just described was a fond memory. 

“The whole damn time we felt like we were being followed. We were after some pretty dangerous people, so we were all on edge. And the jungle was so damn thick you could barely see ten feet ahead of you.

“To make matters worse, some locals had been trying to spook everyone with legends of some monster that lived in the jungle. A hideous creature with glowing red eyes, gnashing teeth, horrible death rattle of a roar, the whole bit. As if a bunch of special ops guys armed with automatic weapons and the best military tech Overwatch had to offer would be spooked by some bigfoot. But what do you know? We were…”

Hanzo chuckled at the story, listening intently as he sipped his sake. 

“So we stop for the night. Everyone was tired and miserable when we had to set up camp. Spent forever trying to wrap ourselves up in mosquito netting, and felt like we were just trapping more mosquitoes in with us than we were keeping out. But finally we got all our hammocks set up—you don’t want to be on the ground in a place like that—and we’re setting up watch rotations when we just hear a loud crunch...and again. Everyone turned on their flashlights trying to see it. Nothing. It goes quiet again…

“Maybe ten minutes later we hear another thump, and this awful, alien, grinding clicking noise. Then out of the dark we see a pair of glowing red eyes. I swear to you I have never seen a group of men move that fast,” he laughed, nearly sloshing his drink. “Lit the thing up like a goddamn Christmas tree. Finally get lights on it and it’s some ragged old OR13. Looked like it had been in the jungle for a while, probably had a short circuit somewhere. The noise was it trying to fire with an empty chamber all gummed up with mud and debris.

“Worst part of it was, once the chaos died down, we heard shouts, couldn’t have been more than half a klick away. It was the bastards we’d been tracking the whole time, making a break for it. Once they knew we were onto their trail, there was no catching up to them. Blew the entire mission. But at least we killed the local monster. Score one for Overwatch, I guess?”

Hanzo laughed as Reaper chuckled into his sake. “I’m sure that made for an...enjoyable debriefing,” Hanzo mused.

Reaper shrugged. “Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure I unloaded about as many rounds into the damn thing as any of my men, but no, Morrison was not impressed. We blew a lot of resources on that operation. I was supposed to oversee it personally to make sure it went off without a hitch.” He snickered. “Morrison was furious that a bunch of professionals got spooked by some boogeyman. We kept the head as a trophy, though.”

Hanzo shook his head, smiling. “I cannot blame you. My family always took the supernatural quiet seriously.”

“That does not surprise me...given the shit I saw Genji pull,” Reaper said.

“Yes. We have our reasons. Once when we were children, our grandmother was telling us stories, about _yokai_...supernatural creatures. Specifically the wicked ones who would prey on children like us. I took her stories very seriously. I took everything very seriously as a boy. Genji...not so much.

“After she thoroughly spooked us, Genji and I were getting ready for bed. Genji slipped away and grabbed some crusty old oni mask from who knows where, and popped out from around a corner to scare me. To his credit, it worked, but unfortunately for him instead of running and screaming I grabbed a sword that was on display and chased after him. I swear he ran straight up a wall…” 

Reaper laughed, topping off Hanzo’s sake, and his own. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

The two carried on for a while, drinking and exchanging stories, until Hanzo felt warmth rising in his face from the alcohol, and the shadows no longer felt quite so oppressive. The air was still painfully cold, but the desk seemed to help keep the heat around them as they sat shoulder to shoulder in what quickly devolved into a nest of blankets. Reaper, or Gabriel, as he eventually insisted Hanzo call him, proved to be an excellent storyteller. Hanzo could only wish his stories were half as interesting.

“You know, when you appeared behind me, and I saw that damn mask of yours reflected in the monitor? My heart about stopped,” Hanzo finally confessed after a time. Reaper, or rather, Gabriel laughed.

“Well, you did a good job not showing it, I was hoping for much more of a reaction.”

Hanzo elbowed him in the ribs with a snort. “Ass.”

“As if you wouldn’t have done the same.”

“Maybe so…”

Gabriel laughed again, his low, growling, oddly resonant laugh. It was unsettling at first, but it was really starting to grow on Hanzo, even if it was often accompanied by puffs of black smoke from somewhere deep in his lungs. Who knew such an individual could have a good sense of humor. Hanzo tried to be surreptitious looking him over. He was still as handsome as ever. If the hints of gray did anything, they only made him look more distinguished. Hell, Hanzo had more gray in his hair than Reaper did.

“You know? It’s good to be able to get drunk and tell stupid stories again. I don’t get to much anymore…” Gabriel said, a tinge of sadness seeping into his voice.

“I know what you mean…” Hanzo said, gazing down at his tin cup. As much pain as he associated with his family, he did miss them. He missed all of it. But particularly he missed the camaraderie, people he could talk to, share stories with...without worrying that they were a spy, that they would rat him out to authorities, or simply sit back, silently judging. He suspected the same went for Reaper...or Reyes. The man had spent enough time with his mask off the two were finally beginning to blur together in Hanzo’s mind.

“You would...wouldn’t you?”

They slid into melancholy silence for a while, before Hanzo decided to top off their cups again. He raised his, with a crooked smirk. “To lost families.”

Reaper smiled, tapping his cup against Hanzo’s. “ _Kanpai._ ”

Eventually they decided to stop drinking and get some sleep. They’d drunk their way through a fair amount of the sake already, and both could be classified as fairly tipsy, but stopping before they crossed the line into drunk seemed wise. By now the unsettling whispers were all but forgotten, or at least accepted to simply be a computer malfunction. 

They rearranged their blanket pile, bedding down under the same blankets this time, their heavier parkas and overcoats stacked on top for additional insulation. Sharing body heat was, after all, the smarter cold weather survival technique.

Between the alcohol warming his insides, the pile of blankets putting up a good effort warming his outsides, and the sheer exhaustion from the day, Hanzo fell asleep the second his head hit the pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

Hanzo woke to the quiet snores of his companion. As he slowly cracked open his eyes, he was surprised to see pale light pouring in through the skylights, albeit filtered through thick flurries of snow. The nights were long this time of year, he must have slept quite a while. But at least he was finally warm, almost too warm, between the piles of blankets, his thick thermal clothes, and Gabriel pressed up against his back, his arm slung around Hanzo’s chest. 

Hanzo’s heart crept up into his throat as he grew fully aware of Gabriel’s closeness. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d shared a bed with someone and simply lay close with them, held them, enjoying the intimate warmth of human contact. 

He also couldn’t remember _ever_ being the little spoon. 

Who knew Reaper, of all people, was a sleep cuddler. 

If his snoring was any indication, Gabriel was out like a light. He probably didn’t realize he was glommed onto anyone, much less Hanzo. But that knowledge didn’t keep Hanzo’s pulse from leaping. After the events of yesterday he found himself quite fond of this strange man. His inner teenager did backflips of triumph; Hanzo quickly buried him under fifty more tons of rubble. Not now. Not ever. 

The best course of action would be to just slip away and pick out their breakfast rations. Spare Gabriel the embarrassment of waking up in such a compromised position.

Hanzo started trying to slide away, only to have Gabriel tighten his grip. He murmured something completely unintelligible as he pulled Hanzo in and scooted closer, slotting their bodies even more tightly together. From his knees tucked neatly behind Hanzo’s, to his face buried in Hanzo’s hair, and his groin pressed right up against Hanzo’s rear. Hanzo’s cheeks burned at this turn of events, grateful they were both still wearing so many layers, preventing Hanzo from feeling perhaps anything even more alarming.

Then again, part of him desperately wished the layers weren’t there, so he could feel his skin against his skin, Gabriel’s no doubt firmly muscled torso, and even if he was being poked, well, even that had some appeal...it _had_ been a while. And besides, Gabriel proved to be a resourceful, intelligent, handsome, funny...international terrorist. Hanzo tried to put that last part aside. It’s not like he really had any place to talk concerning someone’s criminal activity.

His escape thoroughly foiled, Hanzo closed his eyes and tried to let himself relax, leaning against Gabriel’s chest. It was, indeed, pleasantly firm, even through the layers. He savored the steady breaths on the back of his neck, how neatly they fit together- _god_ he missed this…

Hanzo dozed back asleep, or at least got close to it. His mind drifted back to awareness as Gabriel’s breathing pattern changed, growing erratic. He didn’t seem awake yet, as he twitched a few times, still clinging tightly. Dreaming. After a few more moments and jerks, Gabriel abruptly shot bolt upright, flinging the blankets from them both, dousing Hanzo in a sudden wave of cold air. 

Gabriel sat with a wild eyed look of panic, breathing in desperate ragged gasps for several seconds before he raised shaky hands to his face, leaning into his palms, working to steady himself. 

Hanzo watched with an intensely personal pang of sympathy. He was no stranger to waking up with such a start, doused in cold sweat, heart racing, gut tied in knots as he tried to chase away the vile images and feelings swimming through him. He wanted to encircle him in his arms, lean Gabriel’s head against his chest, hold him until his breathing steadied, reassuring him that it was okay. Hanzo himself wished for such a thing many times when he woke shaking, panicked, and alone. But, considering the circumstances, he wasn’t sure that would be welcomed or appropriate, so instead he opted to gently place a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, giving it what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze.

Gabriel flinched at the contact, but his shoulders sagged a few moments later. He ventured a glance over his shoulder at Hanzo as he regained control of his senses.

“Sorry…” He managed to breathe, still a little wild eyed, Hanzo shook his head.

“No need to apologize. I would be lying if I claimed to be a stranger to such things.”

Gabriel let out a rasping, mirthless laugh. “Hell of a way to live, isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

Gabriel sighed again, running a hand down his face, looking eager to change the subject. “So, Rations Master,” he said, his tone approaching something close to normal, though Hanzo could still detect the faintest tremble in his hands. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Well, I hadn’t sorted out the rations in quite that much detail,” Hanzo said with a smirk. “But I can go...list our options.” He dragged his parka out of the blanket pile and threw it on, the cold air already biting through his layers. He could only hope the storm would pass quickly, this cold was proving to be insufferable. 

After they ate, the morning passed in relative quiet. Hanzo contented himself for a time in meditation, while Gabriel stalked around the place, examining every inch like some sort of caged animal. The wind howled with even more ferocity than it had the day before, the entire building occasionally creaking and moaning. Hanzo had to reassure himself that the building had stood this long, it seemed unlikely it would suddenly fail now. 

Hanzo wanted to complete his mission, but neither was eager to burn through their energy cells running the computers if they didn’t know how long they would be stuck there. Between the two of them they had enough to run the heaters for a few weeks at least, but digging around in the computer systems chewed through quite a bit of power. 

Eventually they decided it would be worth the strain on the batteries to try and get a signal out to contract Reaper’s associates. Hopefully they could provide some answers. His earpiece wasn’t quite strong enough to cut through the storm’s interference, but the internal antennas in the building looked sufficient to amplify it, even without the aid of the full satellite array.

Gabriel proved to be quite proficient at bending the computer to his will, command codes aside. Hanzo only felt a little annoyed he hadn’t spoken up sooner when Hanzo was struggling with it. Though Hanzo supposed he had been...hostile towards Reaper. While they agreed to work together, neither was particularly eager to help. 

“Sombra here,” a voice finally chimed through the speakers after several attempts.

“How long are we stuck here,” Gabriel barked without any preamble. 

The woman laughed. “Gabe? I wasn’t expecting to hear from you for a while.”

“The storm. How long.”

“You know, I couldn’t help but notice that ‘we’ again...who’s there with you?”

“You expect me to reveal that information when you won’t even tell me how long we’re stuck here?” Gabriel growled.

“Hm, you sound clear. You got a pretty good signal out and- wait. Are you not wearing your mask? Ohh, that narrows it down a little...who would you be willing to show your face to and let live…” Sombra purred, sounding like she was reveling in piecing together this mystery.

“Maybe I’m just keeping him alive so if I’m stuck here for months I have something to eat later,” Gabriel grumbled, Hanzo narrowed his eyes. That was just uncalled for.

“Are you suggesting you would eat your friend?”

“Yes.” 

Hanzo’s frown deepened. 

“But, you did call him a he…” Sombra said, her voice light and playful, apparently unconcerned with the threat of cannibalism. “That narrows it down even more…”

Gabriel groaned, once again rolling his eyes with all his might. Hanzo had never seen someone quite so adept at telegraphing exasperation and annoyance with every fiber of his being. “Congratulations, you’ve narrowed it down to half the world’s population.”

“A little less than half!”

“Right.”

Sombra’s voice crackled as she laughed. “And you haven’t killed him yet, so that narrows it down even more!”

Gabriel stepped back from the computer console, folding his arms. “How? My kill on sight list isn’t _that_ long.”

“Sure it’s not. And, hola, Gabe’s friend! Maybe you can use this opportunity to get him to loosen up. Boy needs a vacation…”

“ _Sombra…”_ Reaper growled. The phrase sounded exceedingly natural on his lips, specifically how it dripped with frustration.

“Okay, okay. The storm should clear up in a couple more days. Try not to get too bored in the meantime. Oh! Did you hear, Lucio’s new album dropped? It’s pretty good, here!” Sombra said, a few moments later a new file appeared on the computer screen. “Try and take it easy, relax! Oh, I should send you my relaxation playlist too-”

“Thanks…” Reaper grumbled, sounding anything but grateful.

“No problem! Don’t get into too much trouble, boys! Sombra out.” With that, the line went dead. Gabriel rocked back on his heels, arms folded, scowling at the music files sitting mockingly on the screen. Though his glare paled in comparison at the one Hanzo leveled at him. He finally glanced over his shoulder, catching the look. He did a double take.

“What? I’m not _actually_ planning on eating you.”

Hanzo folded his arms and narrowed his eyes, staring daggers at Reaper.

“I was just messing with her.” 

Hanzo kept silent, eyes narrowed, still glaring.  
“What? I was kidding! Besides, I’m a vegetarian, you would do a number on my stomach.”

“Somehow that does not make me feel any better.”

“Why not?” Gabriel asked, an edge of a laugh in his voice.

“You are suggesting you would refrain from eating me not because you are repulsed by the notion of cannibalism, but because you do not eat meat in general?” Hanzo asked, trying to chase the twitch of a grin off his lips as he continued glaring, his voice low and threatening.

“Can’t it be both?”

“Most would list the anti-cannibalism stance first!”

“Eh, it’s all animal meat one way or another…”

Hanzo shook his head, giving up on his glare. He wasn’t surprised by the vegetarianism, he had after all dug through Gabriel’s rations. The implied equivalence between human and animal meat also somehow did not come as a shock. “Well, if you come for me, I beat you once already in hand to hand combat, I could do it again.”

Gabriel leaned against the control panel, that cocky grin on his face as he eyed Hanzo from head to toe. It made Hanzo’s pulse quicken; god he was gorgeous. He fought the thoughts away.

“You sure about that? You know I wouldn’t mind a rematch, I bet I could take you this time,” Gabriel said, his voice low, almost seductive as opposed to threatening, which did nothing to calm Hanzo’s heartbeat.

“I accept your challenge. But later. Now that I know we have enough power to spare I am making tea. I have wanted some ever since I landed on this desolate icescape,” Hanzo said, marching off to their provisions pile. 

Reaper sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Tea does sound...really nice.”

“Only non-cannibals may partake in my tea,” Hanzo barked, again trying to chase the smile from his lips.

“I’m not a cannibal, I swear!” Gabriel said with a laugh, Hanzo finally tilted his head, accepting.

“Very well.”

With that, Hanzo commenced making tea, while Gabriel cleaned out their cups from the night before, which was easier said than done. Water froze in frustratingly little time once exposed to air. The heaters running all night had done little to warm up the large space. Hanzo wondered if the cold was seeping in through some crack they missed. But at least Hanzo’s electric kettle seemed to be working fine.

Once the tea steeped to perfection, Hanzo happily served himself, and his supposedly-non-cannibalistic new friend. He settled down once again in front of the heaters, quietly sipping the warm drink. For how miserable their situation should be, sitting on a soft pile of blankets, fighting off the chill with warm tea was relaxing.

Gabriel, on the other hand, while he settled for a while, seemed incapable of remaining still for too long. Hanzo watched him as he got up and began roaming the room again.

“Are you always this antsy?” he asked. From Reaper’s reputation, and Reyes’s for that matter, he would have expected him to be calmer. Even the brief times he saw Reaper in action he seemed to have an eerie stillness about him. He had an almost unnatural, relaxed fluidity to his movements. Hanzo now wondered if that was simply all an act carefully designed to put his opponents on edge, which, to be fair, it did. 

Gabriel stopped in his tracks, frowning. “No. I just... Hate being stuck here. Sorry, I’ll try to stop pacing so much.” 

Hanzo finished off his tea, setting the tin cup to the side before standing and stretching. “It is understandable. Twenty four hours and this place is already grinding on my nerves as well.” Hanzo smirked as he spoke. “Perhaps the best course of action would be to...blow off some steam.”

Gabriel grinned crookedly, looking Hanzo over, his hands on his hips. “You sure you don’t want to warm up first?”

“I will be fine, but you need to take off the claws. I am not shredding my clothes for this.” 

Gabriel chuckled and agreed, tossing the gloves aside.

The two squared off without much preamble. They circled for a few moments, scrutinizing one another, waiting to see who would make the first move. Gabriel’s motions were smooth and precise. They were also almost deceptively loose, though Hanzo knew not to mistake his relatively unguarded posture for an opening. There was a deadliness to that confidence. Or, at least, skill. The point here wasn’t to be deadly, as the almost playful smirk on Gabriel’s lips made obvious. 

They finally broke the standoff in unison, exchanging a swift set of blows before Hanzo was forced to dodge back. His technique had changed since last time. Hanzo was compact and powerful with a low center of gravity, something which was deceptively dangerous for a larger opponent, he used it to his advantage last time, but this time Gabriel was having none of it, doing his best to use his reach to his advantage and preventing Hanzo from coming in low. He seemed to be trying for a takedown too, Hanzo would probably have a harder time in a wrestling match just from the sheer weight difference. 

Hanzo had to fight back his own grin. Reaper was a challenge yesterday, and perhaps even more of a challenge today. It wasn’t often Hanzo got to face off against a worthy opponent hand to hand, much less in a friendly match. 

They exchanged blows and disengaged a number of times. For a while it seemed like the fight would go on forever, they were too equally matched. Eventually, however, Hanzo landed one particularly vicious kick, drawing a loud hiss from his opponent, he tried to press his advantage, only to see Gabriel’s eyes light up in delight: a trap. He hooked Hanzo’s arm, beginning to spin him to the ground, but Hanzo managed to tangle his legs in Gabriel’s, dragging them both unceremoniously to the ground instead. They landed heavily, Hanzo taking advantage of Gabriel’s surprise to turn the hold around on him. He had the man pinned for no more than a second before he found himself suddenly staring at the cold floor. 

Black mist rose around him and his opponent reformed on top of him, swiping Hanzo’s arm and twisting it behind him in a submission hold, driving his face to the ground. 

“Cheater!” Hanzo hissed.

Gabriel tightened his grip, as Hanzo worked to twist and kick his way free, wrapping his legs around Hanzo’s lower half, and looping his spare arm around Hanzo’s neck, thoroughly foiling his attempts at escape. “Says the guy who’s metal from the knee down,” he laughed.

“That is usually considered a handicap!”

“You’re not the one trying to block a pair of metal rods coming at you,” Gabriel said, applying just a little more pressure to Hanzo’s neck, and twisting his pinned arm up even tighter. The slightest bit more pressure and Hanzo knew full well the limb would break. 

“Yield?” Gabriel practically purred in Hanzo’s ear, raising goose bumps along the back of his neck, and bringing a bright flush to his cheeks. His pulse raced, and it had nothing to do with fear or exertion. 

Knowing he’d lost, Hanzo sighed and tapped out. Gabriel not only released him immediately, he turned to smoke, drifting away. Hanzo had to suppress a shudder as the cold wisps skimmed across his body. 

He was glad being red faced and short of breath was a perfectly understandable state to be in after a fight, masking the inexplicable fire the entire thing ignited in Hanzo’s blood. 

Gabriel reformed a short distance away, seated on the ground, arm propped up on a bent knee, panting, with a wide grin. “Good match.”

Hanzo smirked back, rubbing his tingling arm. “Yes, it was. Though I still say you cheated.”

Gabriel scoffed. “You gotta work with what you have.”

Hanzo hummed. He did have to concede that his legs were essentially weapons as opposed to a handicap, and it’s not like he would refrain from using them. “Tomorrow, best two out of three?”

“Sounds good,” Gabriel said, rubbing his side. “I’m going to have a bruise on my ribs the size of a football, goddamn…”

“I’ll be sure to pull my punches for you next time,” Hanzo taunted. Gabriel rolled his eyes. 

“Nah, it’s fine. It was worth it.”

Hanzo chuckled, finally starting to catch his breath. As soon as he started cooling down, the chill started soaking in again. At least now they had the heaters up and running, but it still wasn’t going to be pleasant trying to dry the sweat off and fight the chill.

“You know, we really ought to put up a tent to trap the warm air in a smaller space. I’m surprised we didn’t think about that yesterday,” Gabriel said suddenly, eyeing their blanket nest.

Hanzo blinked. “Yes...that is a good idea.” Of course, he suspected he knew the answer to why they didn’t consider it before. They were still both extremely wary of one another, until they got tipsy together and that trepidation went out the window. 

With minimal discussion the two heaved themselves off the ground and got to work, dragging over desks and chairs that weren’t bolted down and grabbing zip ties and cord from their supplies. They decided the crackling, thin tarp-like space blankets would be the best for the shell of the enclosure. Though they soon found out the blankets did tear rather easily.

Part way through their construction efforts, Gabriel gave into his curiosity and began playing Sombra’s music files. Hanzo bit back a smirk. He never expected Talon to be fans of Lucio’s music...He suspected the artist would not approve. But the upbeat music was a pleasant distraction from the howling wind and soul crushing quiet of their temporary prison, even if it didn’t fit Hanzo’s usual tastes. 

A couple hours of fumbling with thick gloves, swearing, bickering, dragging extremely heavy desks, and heater breaks later they had a nice, tightly sealed, fairly structurally sound enclosure to trap the heat. They stood back, arms folded, examining their handy work. Hanzo had a faint smile of triumph, though Gabriel’s look was a little more...bemused.

“We made a blanket fort,” Gabriel said finally, Hanzo’s brows shot up.

He looked back at the structure, stacked with desks and chairs, the silvery mylar tarps and one additional blanket. “It’s a...creative survival solution?” Hanzo offered.

“It’s a blanket fort.”

Hanzo sighed, conceding the point. “It’s a remarkably well engineered blanket fort.”

Gabriel chuckled before crawling inside to examine the finished product, Hanzo following suit. There wasn’t quite enough room for them to stand inside, but enough room for them to move about without having to get too personal. 

They moved their liquids and some of the food inside the shelter to let them thaw. Once their perishable foods thawed, they got to eating a late lunch. Their supplies combined proved to make a much more interesting meal than either had planned. Hanzo brought vegetables to snack on, like a responsible adult. While Gabriel had brought along an unnecessarily large sack of pita chips and dip. They combined well together. And the frost only made some of the vegetables weird. 

Eventually they both found themselves simply laying back, listening to the music in contented silence. The space warmed quickly, providing them with a much needed break from the cold. Sombra’s “Chill Out” playlist continued seemingly endlessly in the background. It consisted of just about every musical genre under the sun, from objectively bad pop to classical. Though the songs were all, in fact, quite relaxing, so it worked somehow. 

Hanzo was surprised to find the entire situation infinitely more pleasant than he ever would have imagined. If he could tell his past self that he would enjoy sitting in a shelter—blanket fort—with Reaper, eating frost burnt hummus, listening to music, and actually _enjoying_ himself? Disbelief would be an understatement.

He felt safe. Despite being trapped in a broken down, Antarctic hellscape, huddled in a tiny tent with a murderer. They had plenty of power, the building was built to hold firm against any type of storm, and there was absolutely no way his enemies could find him here. Hanzo constantly stayed vigilant no matter where he went. Here? There was no need to watch his back. And for once he wasn’t alone, even if he was in peculiar company. He couldn’t deny he was beginning to like this man. Which was remarkable considering twenty four hours trapped with anyone else would probably make Hanzo want to kill them.

Gabriel lay on his back, hands tucked behind his head, one leg propped up on the other’s bend knee, absentmindedly bobbing his foot to the beat. 

“I feel like I’m in high school again and we should be passing a joint or something,” Gabriel said. 

Hanzo cracked a smile. “I don’t suppose you brought one.”

“Nah. Last time I smoked I _literally_ melted. Wasn’t great…Pretty relaxing though.”

Hanzo wheezed out a laugh, picturing a blazed Reaper slowly sliding off a couch into a black puddle on the floor. “That is...an unfortunate side effect. I suppose you need to avoid muscle relaxants as well then?”

“Nah, those don’t really do anything anymore. It’s a crapshoot what anything will do to me. Glad alcohol works about the same. Though the last and only time I took an aspirin I started hallucinating and blew a hole through my bedroom door,” Gabriel said, his bemused tone belying what was probably supposed to be an annoyed growl. Hanzo blinked at him. 

“It sounds like it must be a constant adventure, working with Talon.”

“Nah, I was still with Overwatch when that happened.”

Hanzo raised a brow. Here he assumed his gaseous state happened after Overwatch’s collapse. “How...did that go for you?”

“Honestly? I’m pretty foggy on that entire afternoon. But let me tell you, the aftermath was a _bitch_ to cover up…”

Hanzo choked down another laugh, “I can imagine.”

The conversation lapsed again for several more songs, until a distinctive reggae beat came on. Gabriel chuckled. 

“ _Really_ need some weed…”

Hanzo smirked. “I believe there is aspirin in my first aid kit if you are determined to get high.”

“Think I’ll pass...I’d rather not come to and find myself outside and inexplicably shirtless or something.”

“Probably wise.” Hanzo looked the other man over. Considering Hanzo’s own dragons, he always assumed Reaper was likewise a supernatural entity of sorts. He heard legends of wraiths who could become solid to wreak havoc on the living. But given everything he learned, that hypothesis no longer sounded probable.

“May I ask you a question?”

Gabriel grunted affirmatively.

“How did you become...How are you able to dissolve like you do?”

Gabriel shook his head and shrugged against the blankets. “Hell if I know. You’d have to ask my doctor. Or mad scientist friend is more like it.” He sighed heavily, running a hand down his face. He didn’t seem disturbed by the question, more annoyed by his lack of an answer. “I was dying, went to her for help. She came up with a treatment. She warned me the side effects might be...unusual. But a heads up about this,” he held up a hand, his fingers melting into black smoke, “would have been nice. It’s some nonsense with genetics and nanites. It’s all pretty beyond me. Beyond most doctors even. Probably beyond anyone but her.” 

Gabriel sighed, his fingers reforming before he slipped his hand back behind his head. He looked over at Hanzo with a smirk. “What about you?”

“Hm?”

“Is it true you can summon dragons?”

Hanzo blinked. A fair question, just not a question many knew to ask. Then again he had headed a top secret dubiously legal organization with plenty of intelligence. Also he knew Genji. “It is. It is a gift in my family. I spent many days of my youth learning how to call it.”

“Probably why yours is so much more impressive than your brother’s. Kid couldn’t focus on anything other than backflips for more than five minutes at a time.” Gabriel said absentmindedly. Hanzo stared at him, startled.

“You’ve seen it?”

“Sorta. Have a security camera clip in your file. It’s pretty low resolution and blurry, so you can’t really fully make out what the huge thing is. There were a lot of arguments among people who saw the tape if it was just a trick of the light or a weird dust cloud or something. Genji said it was a dragon, but no one believed him. Except me. I’d seen his…”

Hanzo shook his head. He shouldn't be surprised that some footage existed somewhere. A little surprised, perhaps, that the dragon was capable of even appearing on film, but if anyone had the resources to track down its existence, it was Overwatch.

A few hours drifted by, and Hanzo felt himself dozing off. That was, until the music abruptly stopped in a hideous, static filled screech, causing both men to jump. After a brief period of silence a soft, crackling voice came over the speakers in its place. _“The storm just keeps getting worse, but everyone’s in good spirits. The signal will wake us when the resupply comes-”_ the voice faded away, replaced by static hissing and the occasional thump. 

After a good thirty seconds of white noise, speckled with what almost sounded like a heavily distorted voice, the music came back on as if nothing happened. 

Ice ran through Hanzo’s veins, his hair standing on end. He could hear his pulse ringing in his ears and his tattoo seemed to squirm, the dragons were restless. Hanzo ran his hand over his arm, as if to soothe the beast. He sat up, glancing at his companion. Gabriel seemed a shade paler than usual, his eyes wide. He cleared his throat after a time, also sitting up.

“Okay. That _had_ to be an audio log,” Gabriel said, not succeeding particularly well in his attempt to sound casual. He grabbed his long coat and pulled it on before crawling out of the enclosure. Hanzo slid into his parka as well, following him. He stood, gently massaging his restless arm as Gabriel strode to the computer with long, confident strides, his white coat billowing behind him. He lacked his usual swagger and seemed far too tense. Nonetheless there was something about the way he moved that starkly reminded Hanzo that this man was Reaper. He would be quite intimidated if he were in the computer’s position.

Dusk had fallen, leaving the space cloaked inky shadows, chased away only by the faint, cold glow of a few standby indicators on the computer module. Gabriel flipped the screens back on, creating a pool of light around him. He began tapping away at the keyboard, pausing intermittently to rub his hands and blow on them; he forgot his gloves. Hanzo approached cautiously, trying to get a better view of the screens, to see if he could help Gabriel in...whatever he hoped to accomplish. 

“Wherever the short in the system is, I can’t find it…” he grumbled after a while.

Hanzo hummed. “The system is in disrepair and full of ice. I’m sure it could be any number of places,” he offered, trying to be comforting. It was certainly more pleasant to imagine the unsettling occurrences were computer glitches as opposed to something else. Possibly something more sinister. Hanzo wanted to believe it too, despite how the skin of his arm seemed to squirm. 

Gabriel powered off the screens and stepped back, giving up. He pulled his coat tight, tucking his hands under his arms, already starting to shiver. He gave Hanzo a sidelong glance, brow furrowing. “Why do you keep doing that? Are you hurt?”

Hanzo dropped his hand from his bicep, self conscious. He cleared his throat. “No, I’m fine. It is nothing…”

Gabriel grunted, looking to the screen one last time. Hanzo followed his gaze, only for his blood to again run cold as he spotted a third figure in the screen’s distorted reflection. A person dressed in pale blue, standing behind them, watching. The men spun in unison, Gabriel pulling a shotgun from inside his coat, even though Hanzo distinctly remembered him being unarmed before. 

They stood frozen, scanning the corners of the room.

Nothing.

“You...you saw that too this time, right?” Gabriel asked, his voice strained.

“Yes.” Hanzo narrowed his eyes, still scanning the area. His hand unconsciously drifting back to his arm. “I did.”

“No-no-no, fuck this. This haunted...motherfucking...That shit isn’t supposed to be real. This is some. Goddamn...who am I kidding. Of course it’s real. You can pull dragons out of your ass,” Gabriel rambled, running his free hand over his face and hair, sounding downright panicked, an alarming shift from how cool and collected he usually seemed. 

Hanzo reached out, placing a hand on Gabriel’s arm, gently urging him to lower the shotgun. Guns and panic did not generally mix well.

“I...doubt the spirits of scientists would become malevolent entities-”

“Don’t you get it though? Overwatch was supposed to come for them. We never did. That’s why they died. And it’s _my fault Overwatch never came._ ”

“I’m sure it was not your fault alone, Overwatch was a large organization. You could not be expected to oversee every detail…” Hanzo tried to reassure, as he gently removed the gun from Gabriel’s grip. The shotgun was remarkably heavy, and even larger than Hanzo initially realized. 

“I remember. I remember hearing before everything went to shit that they delayed the resupply mission. That we needed to reschedule them. Then everything...happened. We left them here. We left them here to die forgotten and alone in goddamn tubes…” Gabriel ran his free hand over his face and hair over and over, almost as if he were trying to scrub the memory away. He stared, eyes wide and hollow, into the back recesses of the room.

Hanzo still had a hold of his wrist. The man was shaking, but he couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or distress. Hanzo gave his arm a gentle tug to guide him back to the shelter either way. If what he said was true, it explained Gabriel’s agitation since they’d been here. The place felt haunted from the second Hanzo stepped out of his transport, and he didn’t have the weight of its history plaguing him. 

“Were you the one who personally arranged when the Ecopoint would be resupplied?” Hanzo asked, holding aside the flap that served as the shelter door. 

“No...but-”

“Then it is not your fault. Try to warm up. I will return shortly,” Hanzo interrupted, gently urging the shaken man into the shelter. Gabriel reluctantly complied, swallowing what looked to be a fair amount of commentary. 

Hanzo let the flap flutter shut and marched back to the electric kettle. He figured Gabriel could do with a moment to gather himself, and tea might help settle everyone’s nerves. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as the water finally reached a boil. It felt like something was watching him. He shivered, and was happy to unplug the kettle and bring it, the tea, and the cups back to the shelter. He didn’t know why he hadn’t felt such ominous energies the night before, but now the air almost felt thick and electric.

Gabriel seemed more collected by the time Hanzo arrived. Still tense, and a little glassy eyed in the orange glow of the heaters, but the wild edge of panic was gone. His eyes darted away as Hanzo entered, embarrassed. Hanzo didn’t blame him, either for the reaction or his embarrassment, and was happy to let the entire thing drop. He silently poured them both tea when it finished steeping.

Gabriel stared down into his cup, watching the steam twisting and curling up, his posture slowly relaxing. After a few moments, a small smile wormed its way onto his lips, and he began to shake with silent laughter. A hand drifted up to his mouth as he smothered a choked off laugh that came out somewhere between a cough and a snort. “Here I am. A full grown adult. Soldier, veteran of the omnic crisis, human science experiment mercenary…” He waved his hand at their surroundings. “Hiding from ghosts in a goddamn _blanket fort._ ”

Hanzo breathed a quiet laugh, smiling softly. “I think you mean a well engineered creative survival solution. But I will concede it is an...unusual situation.”

Gabriel shook his head and took a careful sip of his piping hot tea. He cleared his throat, glancing to Hanzo again. “Sorry about. Freaking out, like that…”

“Think nothing of it. We are all haunted by our pasts. It’s just usually not quite so...literal.”

“So, you really think this place is haunted?” Gabriel asked, a little hesitantly.

Hanzo nodded. As much as he didn’t want to believe it himself, the feeling in the air was undeniable. The auditory disturbances could have been audio logs, sure, but how could they explain the apparition? Not to mention the way his tattoo seemed to squirm was making his entire arm ache. His hand unconsciously moved to his arm again. “I am afraid so…”

“You keep doing that…” Gabriel said, gesturing to Hanzo’s arm. He abruptly stopped, self conscious. “Why?”

Hanzo gnawed his lower lip for a second. He supposed the response ‘the dragons are restless’ wouldn’t get him very far. Deciding it would be simpler just to show him. Hanzo set aside his tea, shrugged off his coat, and began peeling off his remaining outer layers, thankful the shelter had warmed up to comfortable temperature.

Gabriel leaned back ever so slightly, watching with perhaps the slightest hint of alarm. Hanzo could have sworn his face darkened a shade as well, but it was hard to tell in the faint orange light. Finally he was down to his undershirt, most of the tattoo clearly visible. He held it out for Gabriel to inspect. 

“It is my connection with the dragons, in a sense. I can feel it when they are...agitated.”

Gabriel leaned forward, wide eyed with surprise. He reached a tentative hand out, tracing his fingers along the dragon’s scales. Hanzo allowed it, suppressing a shiver at the gentle caress. He scolded himself internally for the reaction; he really needed to get a hold of himself. Fortunately Gabriel didn’t seem to notice.

“It’s beautiful work…” he said, a note of awe in his voice, “you know, life was a whole lot simpler when I believed all this supernatural stuff was all nonsense.”

“Did my brother change your attitude?”

“Nah. Once you’ve traveled as much as I had...let’s just say I saw things. I don’t think Genji was the only member of my crew with a hint of the supernatural around him,” he said, still gently trailing his fingers down the dragon’s long body, seeming almost entranced.

Hanzo’s brows shot up. “Really? I have not found people with...gifts such as ours to be common.”

“Yeah, don’t get me wrong, the dragon thing’s unique to you two as far as I’m concerned. But had a kid who I swear I saw squeeze eight or nine shots out of a six shooter in half a second, hitting dead on each time. He did it a few times. I tore that gun apart myself, looking for some sort of trick. It was just a six shooter.” Gabriel suddenly seemed to realize he’d held Hanzo’s arm hostage long enough and returned his hands to his tea, taking another tentative sip. 

“Fascinating. I have never heard of such a thing,” Hanzo said, raising his cup to his face, enjoying the pleasant scent of the steam. 

“Yeah, me neither. Who knows, maybe it wasn’t supernatural and the kid was just some sort of freak. It was uncanny either way.” He stared down into his tea, looking distant. Hanzo noticed, even from the short time they’d been together, every time Gabriel spoke of the old days with Overwatch and his men, there was a sadness underlying it all. 

Hanzo read plenty of reports characterizing Blackwatch, and Reyes at its head, as the toxic tumor that brought the whole organization down. When he found that Reyes and Reaper were one in the same, Hanzo suddenly believed those reports more than ever. Every time he spoke of his past, however, Hanzo’s certainty waned. He would have expected such a person to look back with vindictiveness and anger. There was bitterness, sure, but a profound sadness and nostalgia as well.

The two sat in silence, drinking their tea. The music started over, picking up with Lucio’s album again. Neither were overly eager to go out to make the computer stop. It was remarkable how quickly the warm, contented feeling disappeared. The shelter even felt a little colder, Hanzo’s missing extra layers aside. 

Eventually they got around to eating dinner and stopped the music. As the silence continued undisturbed, they both started to feel the ghosts had moved on. The air returned to normal, and even the unsettled feeling in Hanzo’s arm subsided, leading him to believe the spirits had perhaps gone dormant. 

After they ate, the incident was, like the previous night’s event, almost completely behind them. Gabriel got up after a time to go use the restroom. A few minutes later a loud crackling static came blaring out of the speakers, accompanied by (understandably) loud startled swearing from Gabriel. Hanzo peaked his head out of the shelter, and saw Gabriel standing in the middle of the room, flashlight in hand, looking downright pissed off. 

“Alright you incorporeal _fucks!_ Are you trying to scare me? Come out here and I’ll find a way to send you assholes _back to hell where you belong,_ ” he yelled at the darkness. Hanzo frowned. The static grew louder. “Yeah? That all you got? BRING IT.”

“I’m not sure taunting them is how to make them stop,” Hanzo offered, wincing as Gabriel spun, shining the light in his face. 

“Yeah, well, maybe. But I stand by my comments.”

The static grew louder, and louder, until the speakers started crackling and distorting. Then all at once the sound cut out, leaving them with nothing but the howling wind outside.

“See? That’s better.” Gabriel waited a few more moments before starting back to the shelter. 

Just as he was leaning down to climb inside another loud distorted _blat_ erupted from the speakers. Both men started at the sudden noise. Gabriel spun around, assuming a posture that reminded Hanzo of some great, predatory beast. His clawed fingers were spread, moving slowly as he surveyed the room. He looked ready to pounce, and the low growl he emitted did nothing to dispel that feral impression. Surely if Hanzo found himself staring down _that_ he would have been plenty intimidated. It was remarkable how smoothly the man slid into appearing to be the inhuman Reaper, even without the mask.

Though he wasn’t sure how well such a display would work against spirits. The implied threat rang a little hollow with nothing to attack.

Once nothing further happened, Reaper turned, and barged his way into the shelter with a huff. Despite how good a front he put up, once he was close, Hanzo could see the faint shimmer of sweat on his brow and a wild glint in his eye. He was shaken.

“Fuck this, I’m getting drunk again tonight,” he grumbled, grabbing the sake. He practically ripped the lid off and drank straight from the jug, taking several long gulps before coming up for air. He ‘politely’ held the jug out, offering it to Hanzo. Hanzo scowled at him.

“Your cup was right there…” He grumbled, taking the jug regardless.

“What? We did your Japanese thing last time. Now we’re drinking LA style.”

“By sharing each other’s back wash?”

“Yeah, whatever. The alcohol kills all the germs.”

“Even if that was my primary concern, I’m sure that is not how that works…” Hanzo shook his head, staring down the sake. He wanted to object to the notion of getting drunk two nights in a row, but who was he kidding? He had been known to get drunk damn near every night of the week by himself in some backwater shithole hotel room on occasion. At least now he had company.

Besides, he could also use something to settle his nerves.

Hanzo took a substantially more measured drink before passing the jug back to Gabriel. Soon enough the two found themselves in much the same position they were the night before, shoulder to shoulder, leaning against a tipped over table. Only this time they were a lot warmer. And Gabriel seemed to be in a race to get drunk. Hanzo occasionally had to hold the sake hostage for fear he’d make himself sick.

The conversation stayed light despite everything. Though as the evening wore on, and Gabriel kept sharing occasional Overwatch anecdotes, the same question kept popping up in Hanzo’s head. He didn’t want to take advantage of Gabriel’s inebriated state to pry answers out of him. But eventually, curiosity got the better of him.

“If I may ask...whatever did happen to Overwatch? I know the reports I’ve heard, but meeting you now they seem...false,” Hanzo said, bracing himself for a poor reaction. But Gabriel just shrugged.

“Because they are.” He sighed, turning his eyes to the reflective orange glow along the silver tarps. “It’s a fair question. I’m not sure I even have the full answer for you, though...just that what the reports said was a load of bull.”

Hanzo nodded, watching Gabriel intently as he signed. 

“Jack and I- Morrison, I mean. We were close. Closer than family...It’s hard to explain. We weren’t lovers, I mean...not for my lack of trying,” Gabriel admitted with a wheeze of a laugh, “but I don’t know the guy was too…”

“Straight?” Hanzo offered as Gabriel paused, reaching for the right word. Gabriel snorted, shooting a grin at Hanzo.

“Nah, wasn’t even that. Hell, I think he might be asexual or something. Never really saw him hook up with anyone, and people were constantly throwing themselves at the guy. Either way, you know it’s a special kind of relationship when you can embarrassingly admit your undying love for someone, get shot down, and not have it impact things, you know? We were close as ever for years after that. I was proud as hell of him for how he ran Overwatch, and he always had my back. No matter how bad either of us fucked up, we had each other’s backs. And let me tell you, Jack had some doozies of fuckups. I helped him bury the bodies, so to speak, no questions asked. Actually one time it literally was a body…” Gabriel muttered, looking bemused. Hanzo stared with wide eyed shock, his mouth falling open at the implication. Gabriel caught the look and held up a hand. 

“Hey, to be fair it was self defense. And an accident. And a faulty safety rail. Honest. Just...it would’ve been bad. For everyone. Shit, I mean. Overwatch didn’t start getting a bad name for nothing. A lot of it was nothing but...not all of it.”

Hanzo closed his mouth, trying to look impassive as he nodded. Still a bit shocked at the notion. That must have been one hell of a story...

“Point was, I had his back. And he had mine. Till one day he didn’t.” Gabriel sighed, reaching for the sake. Hanzo let him have it. This time. The guy was already pretty sloshed. Gabriel took a measured sip.

“I mean, there was a few times he helped me out during the Blackwatch days where, in retrospect? He- we probably should have known better. But you know, hindsight and all that. 

“But then towards the end… I had some intel, some real apocalyptic shit, right? And we needed to act even if it would be breaking more than a few international laws in the process. And he just. Turned his back on me. Decades of friendship just tossed out the window. Like...preserving the institution of Overwatch was more important than saving people. More important than _us_. I was happy to let the organization burn if preserving it meant compromising our mission.” He took another drink, before handing the nearly empty container back to Hanzo. He looked Hanzo in the eye with a sad, dark smile.

“And what do you know? It burned,” Gabriel said, his voice a low, dangerous growl, his eyes holding a fire that made a lump rise in Hanzo’s throat, and held his gaze hostage.

After a few beats, a more natural smile returned to Gabriel’s face, he looked away, freeing Hanzo from his breathless paralysis. Hanzo wasn’t really sure that story explained anything, but it was a lot to process. He tossed back the last of the sake, a small part of his mind alarmed that they finished it off. There had been quite a lot left. Gabriel stretched, his eyes growing tired.

“I’m pretty sure Jack’s trying to hunt me down to kill me now. Which is a bummer.”

“That must be...difficult,” Hanzo offered, at a loss. 

Gabriel grunted noncommittally, slouching down the table. Hanzo suppressed a start when Gabriel leaned his head on Hanzo’s shoulder. He could smell the alcohol wafting off of Gabriel’s breath; he was perhaps drunker than Hanzo thought. Not that Hanzo was anything resembling clear headed. 

“What about you?” Gabriel asked.

“Me?”

“Once Overwatch finally got around to trying to take down your family you were nowhere to be seen. What happened there?”

Hanzo sighed. “There isn’t much to tell. I couldn’t live with myself after what I did to Genji. And the elders approval just...twisted the knife. I left. It was as simple as that.”

“I guess I could see that…” Gabriel murmured. “I guess we’re both running from our pasts, aren’t we?”

Hanzo laughed bitterly. “It would seem so. Went from having everything...to nothing.”

“Yeah, Sombra and Doomfist and the rest are sorry excuses for what I had. Even if Sombra has her moments...” Gabriel said, trailing off. “You know, I barely know you? But it’s...easy to talk to you.”

Hanzo smiled at that. Hanzo had never been accused of being ‘easy to talk to.’ He was happy to blame the alcohol...but… “It’s strange...But I feel the same about you,” Hanzo confessed, possibly still thanks to the alcohol. “Perhaps it is because we have these...unfortunate things in common.”

“Yeah. Regardless, I’m glad you’re the one I’m stuck in this frozen, ghost infested hellscape with,” Gabriel said through a yawn.

“Likewise. Though, I feel we should probably try to sleep,” Hanzo said, stifling his own yawn, giving Gabriel’s leg a gentle pat. The world was a little fuzzy from the sake, and his lids heavy from the long day, and now even longer night. 

Gabriel grunted. “I’m sure as soon as we do the goddamn ghosts will start blaring noises again.”

“They have been quiet for quite some time. Perhaps you cowed them into submission,” Hanzo said with a smirk. 

Gabriel hummed. “Maybe. Has your...dragon been anxious?” he asked, running a finger up Hanzo’s arm, along his tattoo. 

“No, not for some time now.”

“Well fine,” Gabriel said, tipping forward and face planting unceremoniously into the pile of blankets. He then reached under himself, ineffectively grabbing and dragging edges of the blankets over himself. Hanzo snickered at the useless flopping drunk. He crawled forward, and started trying to help Gabriel out of his coat, the other man stopped wrestling blankets, rolling on his back to eye Hanzo suspiciously.

“Hanzo Shimada. Are you trying to undress me?” he asked, sounding amused.

“No, I’m trying to take off your coat because it has metal on it and if you sleep in it you are going to wake up with a shiny chrome buckle wedged between your ribs.”

Gabriel blinked up at him sleepily. “You have a point.” He sat up, helping Hanzo get the coat off, which ended up being a far greater struggle than was truly necessary, considering they both kept managing to sit on the long lower half and neither was particularly sober. They snickered all the while, making fun of each other for their incompetence.

Finally they successfully tossed the coat aside, and managed to find their way under the blankets. Gabriel rolled onto his side, and Hanzo found himself staring at the man’s broad back, admiring the striking triangle trailing down to his surprisingly shapely hips. It was hard to believe such a perfect form even existed. Hanzo found himself sliding close, and slipping his arm around the man’s waist before he could think better of it. Gabriel let out a small, curious grunt at the appearance of Hanzo’s arm.

“So the dragons can protect both of us,” Hanzo said through a yawn.

“Mm, good plan,” Gabriel murmured, again brushing his fingers along Hanzo’s tattoo. Hanzo smiled, leaning his head against Gabriel’s back, breathing in his scent. He had no right smelling this good after what they’d been through and not showering. It was intoxicating. Though, as much as Hanzo wanted to bask in his companions warmth, his heady scent, and enjoy the soothing rise and fall of his chest, he soon drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Hanzo be like, that's rough, buddy  
> -Thank yalls for your support in my rarepair adventure!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A friendly reminder that this is rated E!

Hanzo woke once again to a dilemma. With his sake soaked confidence and faded judgment, he once again found himself uncomfortably close with Gabriel, and with no real desire to fix that situation.

At some point Gabriel rolled onto his back, and Hanzo flopped half onto his stomach. He had his arm, and leg still slung lazily over Gabriel’s softly snoring form, with his face buried in the blankets next to Gabriel’s shoulder. He also seemed to be laying on his other arm, which was quickly going numb. On second thought, maybe moving was desirable. This position was a touch uncomfortable.

Hanzo slowly, reluctantly, and a little awkwardly, scooted away from his companion. The numbness in his arm was more extensive than he originally realized. He sat up, gingerly flexing his fingers as the pins and needles flooded in.

Gabriel shifted as Hanzo left. His snoring stopped, but from the cadence of his breathing he still seemed asleep. He looked so peaceful. At first the revelation of Reaper’s identity floored Hanzo, but the more they interacted, the more he saw both. But at this moment? He saw neither. Not a legendary monster or hero, just a man. A man with silver flecks in his beard, and three days worth of stubble along his strong jaw, sleeping contentedly beside him.

He has a sudden urge to reach out and stroke that beautiful face. Hanzo scolded himself, looking away. This absurd, juvenile crush of his had been stewing long enough; it was time for it to stop. He’d already overstepped the line of propriety quite neatly last night, curling up with him. Hanzo’s face burned. His alcohol related regrets usually had to do with awful street food or bizarre online purchases. Drunk Hanzo seemed to have no taste, a penchant for tacky, shiny bullshit, and a fondness for vintage pokemon collectables.

Or the time when he drunk messaged Genji approximately forty times. Hanzo had no idea in the morning what he was trying to tell his brother, since every message contained pure, unmitigated gibberish. Somehow he’d switched his keyboard settings to Chinese and not noticed? Genji never said anything about it. He probably thought it was a technical glitch.

Gabriel was right, he might have something of a drinking problem.

Hanzo tore his eyes away, scolding himself for ogling the sleeping man. It could only end poorly if he was caught. If it wasn’t already going to end poorly after his behavior last night. Though, the way Gabriel trailed his fingers down Hanzo’s arm, and rested his head on Hanzo’s shoulder flashed vividly into his mind.

_And he likes men…_

Hanzo angrily pushed the thoughts aside, pulling his outer layers back on as his face heated up. No. No. What did he possibly think would come of any of that? 

The air no longer felt as strange as it did the night before. It lacked that uncanny electricity and thickness. The only disturbance Hanzo felt in his arm was his right one from sleeping on it. All the incidents happened at dusk or late at night, perhaps that was somehow tied to the ghosts ability to manifest. Cliché, perhaps, but not uncommon as far as Hanzo knew.

Even with his coat, it seemed a little cold. Or colder, at least. To Hanzo’s dismay, he discovered the smaller, dodgy heater had died while they slept. Not surprising, but annoying.

The icy air hit like a truck as Hanzo stepped out of the enclosure. His lungs burned and his face stung. The loss of the heater inside the shelter explained that, but he swore it had gotten colder _outside_. He popped back in the enclosure to grab one of their water bottles. He gingerly poured a small stream out, cringing as the water crystallized before it even hit the ground, bits of ice shattering on impact.

Yes, it most certainly had gotten colder. Hanzo looked around the space, puzzled about how. They were generating heat, they sealed off the room from the storm outside. These buildings were built expressly to insulate their crews from the frosty deaths that awaited them outside. Was the storm really so cold? It would be a little unusual for this time of year, and seemed like something Reaper’s compatriots should have warned them about.

Or perhaps the spirits had something to do with it. Hanzo wanted to scold himself for yet another stupid notion, but then again, who knew what vengeful scientists ghosts could possibly get up to other than playing with the speakers. He had heard stories of apparitions making warm summer evenings feel like frigid winter frosts. But it was still unusual.

It was concerning to imagine a handful of scientists could turn into vengeful enough creatures to accomplish such a thing. Though he supposed there was a unique horror to the end they experienced. And there was someone present who, in a sense, had a hand in their demise. Though Hanzo had a hard time believing Reyes was actually responsible. Blackwatch seemed an unlikely branch of Overwatch to be in charge of resupplying the Ecopoint, even if Gabriel seemed eager to blame himself. Then there was his response to curse at them.

He admired Gabriel’s reaction in a way, as comical as it was. Many, including the bravest individuals in the world, when confronted with the paranormal simply shut down or went into a state of complete denial. How do you deal something you cannot see or comprehend? But it seemed Gabriel was willing to put that minor detail aside and face the spirits head on. For the most part. Even getting drunk was something of an act of defiance. Most would be too afraid to dull their senses.

Suddenly Hanzo wished he had a bit more extensive knowledge about hauntings. Doing something to make sure they remained safe seemed prudent. As he set the kettle of water to boil, an idea hit him. He went rummaging through their supplies and successfully found a black marker. He gingerly stripped the label off of one of their rations and frowned at the glue residue on the back, but it would do.

Hanzo was a little horrified to see how badly his calligraphy had backslid. Even if he was scribbling on a sticky label with a frozen marker wearing thick gloves. It was no excuse. But after only a little frustration he produced his first _ofuda_. He remembered his grandmother sticking the paper talismans outside of his and Genji’s rooms, explaining it was to keep any evil spirits away.

As an adult he learned there was a semi legitimate concern in his family about children being taken and possessed by hostile entities before the dragons came to them. Some relatives even postulated the dragons themselves were more of a curse than a blessing, but Hanzo believed those individuals were simply jealous.

Either way, dabbling in the supernatural seemed to draw the supernatural to you. Perhaps that was why this haunting was so pronounced, he and Gabriel both had experienced the paranormal before. Once the door to the spirits was open, it was nearly impossible to shut.

Drawing the talismans on weird scraps of torn up rations label was not ideal, but quality parchment was not one of the things they thought to bring. Hanzo was lucky to have found a pen. Trying to draw wards with expired dehydrated gravy seemed even more questionable.

Between his tea and the activity drawing up the wards, the cold seemed a little less ominous. As he finished up his sixth talisman, Gabriel finally emerged from the shelter.

“Holy _fuck_ it’s cold,” he spat, immediately pulling his hood up and wrapping his coat as tight as possible. He then spotted the paper hanging from the shelter, and the three wards frozen to the computer. He furrowed his brow, looking to Hanzo. “So...I take it you’ve lost your mind?”

Hanzo chuckled, he should have been offended, but even he had to admit random scrawling on paper scraps strewn about probably looked a bit strange.

“They are wards against spirits,” Hanzo explained, finishing up his sixth.

“Ah, right. I think I’ve seen those before. They were just a lot nicer. No offense.”

Hanzo snorted. “None taken. They are...hardly my best work.”

Gabriel nodded, standing up a little straighter, surveying Hanzo’s work with a more critical eye, nodding in approval. He looked back to Hanzo with… was that a fond smile? “Good plan. Hope it works.” His smile faded to a grimace after a few seconds. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “God, this cold is hell on my hangover…”

“You have a hangover?” Hanzo asked, automatically moving to boil some more water for his companion. Gabriel grunted.

“Yeah, you don’t?”

“No.”

“But how? You’re tiny!” Gabriel barked. Hanzo glared sharply enough to actually make Gabriel lean away. “I mean. Comparatively. Less...overall mass than me. Body weight. You know,” he backpedaled. Hanzo rolled his eyes.

“I suppose I did not drink as much.”

Gabriel grunted, sounding unconvinced.

“We have analgesics in the first aid supplies. Other than aspirin,” Hanzo offered with a faint smirk.

“Nah, I’m good. I’ll be fine once I eat something and have some tea.” Gabriel paused, frowning. “Thank you, by the way. For the tea. And the wards. And letting me drink all your sake. Shit, I guess I haven’t really brought anything of value to this garbage camping trip.”

Hanzo tried to fight the flush from his face, busying himself with steeping the tea and not making eye contact. “Were it not for your information about the storm or access codes to get power I likely would be dead.”

“That’s not really the same…” Gabriel said, shifting his weight and rubbing the back of his neck. Hanzo offered him a small smile as he carried the tea kettle into the shelter.

“Think nothing of it.”

The morning passed in relative quiet. Hanzo was glad they didn’t discuss the night before, at least not in any substantial way. They both bemoaned the lack of razors. Gabriel looked like his transformation into a full on mountain man was imminent, Hanzo privately bemoaned the fact that certain stretches of his own facial hair were...patchy at best. But at least it all grew slower than Gabriel’s.

Once again Hanzo spent time meditating. He didn’t usually make time for it, but honestly he had nothing better to do. And it was quite nice. He made a mental note to make more of an effort to after he left. Some good might as well come of this...disaster. A smirk crept onto his face despite his efforts to empty his mind. Genji was all about meditation now that he had his monk partner. He would be so proud.

Some time later Hanzo heard a grunt. He cracked an eye open.

“Hey. I found where the cold air’s getting in,” Gabriel called. Hanzo shrugged on his coat and headed out of the shelter, his curiosity far outstripping his desire to meditate. Though from the grunt Gabriel sounded. Resigned.

The man stood, facing a large, blank wall, arms folded. Even from behind he looked annoyed.

“It’s a door,” Gabriel said. Hanzo looked at the distinctly doorless wall, raising a brow.

“...And you were asking me if I’d lost my mind.”

“Nah, see?” Gabriel traced an immense square along the ceiling, floor, and where desks stopped and started on either side of the stretch of wall. “It’s a cargo door. I think the seal failed. You can feel a slight draft. I don’t think there’s anything we can really do about it, unless you have ideas.”

Hanzo blinked, suddenly noticing the faint hint of a track along the ceiling, and even a large bar handle that probably served for manually dragging the thing open. He’d noticed it before, it just hadn’t seemed out of place considering everything else in the room. Hanzo stepped forward, peering at the edge. He could, indeed, detect the slightest draft. He was simultaneously relieved that the awful chill wasn’t supernatural in origin and immensely frustrated by the discovery.

“Well, at least the shelter seems to be working well enough keeping us warm.”

The afternoon passed uneventfully. The atmosphere remained so peaceful, Hanzo was half convinced his wards actually worked.

Hanzo finally got around to retrieving the data he needed for his mission. The whole thing actually took a few hours. The bits and pieces Dr. Zhou needed were so strange and scattered, it was no wonder she missed them the first time. Especially considering everything she had to worry about.

After a time Hanzo sensed more than he heard Gabriel creeping up behind him. Had he wraithed over for no reason? The man stood there. Looming over Hanzo’s shoulder as he popped the memory chip out of the computer. Hanzo pocketed the chip and finally turned, arms folded, peering curiously up at Gabriel.

“Yes?”

“Sorry. I’m just really bored.”

Hanzo smirked, looking the other man over. “I can tell.”

“Were you serious about best two out of three?”

“Of course. If you think you can stomach the humiliation of your inevitable defeat,” Hanzo said flatly.

Gabriel rocked back on his heels, a crooked, smile on his face. “Goddamn you’re cocky.”

Hanzo grinned, leaning forward. “It would be an error to mistake my confidence for cockiness. I am sure of my abilities with good reason.”

“So, we’re doing this or just talking?”

Hanzo agreed, but made a rather lengthy show of needing to put the chip somewhere safe and shedding his extra fluffy mittens, for no other purpose than making Gabriel wait.

When they finally squared off Gabriel looked downright hungry for a fight. The glint in his eye made Hanzo’s pulse quicken. He was an intriguing opponent. Their last two bouts had been challenging and enjoyable. But this time Hanzo knew the wraith’s tricks. He would not be caught off guard again.

And he wasn’t. But then neither was Gabriel.

Their battle started the same as the last two. A rapid exchange of blocks and blows went nowhere. This time, however, when things got serious, the stalemate continued. Every time it looked like Hanzo finally had the upper hand, his opponent would turn to smoke and escape his grasp. But, conversely, whenever Gabriel tried to use his insubstantial state to his advantage, Hanzo knew how to get out of harm’s way. He took a moment to reform before he could do anything against Hanzo, more than enough time for the man to get out of dodge.

A few hits got through, as friendly as the match was, neither was exactly pulling their punches. Hanzo had the wind knocked out of him, and Gabriel’s thigh was bound to be stinging from not quite blocking one of Hanzo’s kicks.

He loved watching Gabriel fight. He almost wished he was on the sidelines observing instead of participating, so he could fully admire the grace and power of his movements. He would usually expect an opponent of his stature to rely heavily on strength, and strength alone. But there was a flow to his movements. Perhaps after acquiring his wraith form he became more accustomed to those fluid motions, since they seemed to come and go. He’d move as liquid as water for a few strikes, then follow up with a move that might as well have been thrown by a bull. It was remarkably effective at keeping Hanzo on his toes. It was a hard mix of styles to predict, and made for a dynamic fight.

Eventually, a faint glimmer of fear that he might actually lose started trickling into Hanzo’s mind. He was getting tired. Slowly his admiration was replaced by frustration. He was _not_ going to lose this fight. Though fortunately, his opponent seemed to be flagging as well.

Hanzo threw a punch, angled high, going for Gabriel’s face, only to have the other man catch his fist, managing to take hold. _Sloppy,_ Hanzo chided himself. Reaper pulled on Hanzo’s hand, trying to off balance him as he swung his free hand at Hanzo’s ribs. _Also, sloppy_. Hanzo caught his opponent's wrist, even as he stumbled forward, bumping into Gabriel’s chest.

The two stood locked in a battle of strength, each straining to pull their hand out of the other’s grip.

Hanzo’s eyes trailed up to his opponent's face. Those fierce dark eyes, that magnificent jaw...those soft, parted lips. He had a hard time drawing his eyes away. Flush with heat, feeling Gabriel’s chest knock against his as the panted. 

He found his gaze trapped by Gabriel’s once again. There was a glint in his eye that made a sudden madness overcome Hanzo. He felt Gabriel’s grip tighten over Hanzo’s fist, while Hanzo returned the motion in kind to Gabriel’s wrist. They stood paralyzed, their heavy breathing drowning out even the storm outside. So, tantalizingly close, sending a bolting rush of excitement through Hanzo’s chest, setting his blood ablaze. Finally Gabriel’s gaze flickered to Hanzo’s lips, and it was over.

Hanzo rose on the balls of his feet while Gabriel leaned in, their lips crashing together in the middle. They shared a long, fierce, breathless kiss which was as much teeth as it was lips or tongue, neither relinquishing their grip on the other. Electricity ran through Hanzo’s veins, leaving his skin flushed and tingling. Gabriel pressed in, catching Hanzo’s lower lip between his teeth. Hanzo gasped involuntarily, pushed deeper, eager to return the gesture the second he had a chance. He bit down hard, running his tongue along Gabriel’s tender lip, he could have sworn he felt a shudder run through the man.

After what felt like both a split second and an eternity their lips parted. The combatants stared at each other, even more breathless than before. Simultaneously they released their grips on one another, only for Hanzo to grab fistfuls of Gabriel’s coat, dragging him close, while the other man dug his fingers into Hanzo’s hair, guiding their lips together again.

Soon their hands roamed each other’s bodies freely, albeit over their frustratingly large number of layers. Hanzo broke away from their kiss only to run his lips down Gabriel’s stubble coated neck. He sucked and licked the salt from his skin before biting down, drawing a throaty moan from Gabriel.

“ _Fuck,_ ” he gasped, lulling his head back for better access as he pulled Hanzo flush against his body. “I’m...I’m guessing we can call this a draw?” he panted.

Hanzo smiled against Gabriel’s neck. “Are you tapping out?” he purred before digging his teeth into the corded muscle where his shoulder met his neck, drawing another strangled noise from Gabriel.

“Not a chance,” he growled, a wicked grin coming onto his face as he grabbed Hanzo’s ponytail roughly, dragging his head back. He pressed his lips along the underside of Hanzo’s jaw, sucking and biting, making his way slowly down Hanzo’s neck, abusing one spot long enough to make Hanzo ache before teasing the sensitive flesh with his tongue and moving lower. Hanzo’s eyes slid half lidded as he shivered, _god_ he was good…

Occasionally faint thoughts of alarm dug their way through Hanzo’s fog of overwhelming pleasure, nagging at the back of his mind. Was this a good idea? How could this man possibly want Hanzo? Was he perhaps just some predatory pervert who noticed Hanzo’s gazes? And more importantly, did Hanzo care? Hanzo bit back an embarrassingly loud moan as Gabriel’s teeth dug in again, and firmly decided he did not.

Hanzo planted his hands on Gabriel’s shoulders and roughly shoved him away, interrupting his tour of Hanzo’s neck. Gabriel stumbled back, a mix of surprise and concern on his face, perhaps wondering if he overstepped—until Hanzo lunged, capturing his face once again, drawing him into a fierce kiss.

Hanzo pushed into Gabriel, forcing him back and back until they bumped into the shelter, drawing a loud screech from one of the desks. They both froze immediately, turning to inspect the tarps to make sure nothing was damaged. Upon confirming the shelter was no worse for wear, they turned back, staring one another down hungrily.

“Inside?” Hanzo asked, breathlessly.

“Yeah.”

The two scrambled in, Gabriel halfway out of his coat by the time he even made it through the door. He reached forward, eagerly pushing Hanzo’s coat off his shoulders before their lips met again. He practically dragged Hanzo onto his lap. Hanzo shivered as his Gabriel’s hands searched under his layers, finding bare skin.

Hanzo grabbed Gabriel’s wrists, pulling them away. He pushed him back onto the blankets until he was flat on the ground, hands pinned above his head, Hanzo straddling him. Hanzo relished in the way Gabriel writhed under him as he nibbled along his stubble laden jaw. Oh yes, he was enjoying this.

After several long moments savoring Gabriel squirming beneath him, reveling in Hanzo’s attacks on his lips, neck, and jaw, Hanzo pulled away, his face hovering over Gabriel’s, grinning.

“It looks like I have you pinned,” Hanzo teased.

Gabriel’s half lidded eyes flew open, blinking at Hanzo. “What? Is this supposed to be part of the match?” he asked in disbelief, the wide grin on his face belying any real dismay.

Hanzo chuckled softly. “Perhaps.”

Gabriel leaned up, his wrists still pinned to the ground, but close enough Hanzo could feel his breath on his face. “Now who’s the cheater?” he growled, with a glint of delight in his eyes, fighting to keep his snarl from becoming a grin.

“You are as guilty as I,” Hanzo crooned back as his pulse raced. He looked so good like that. Back arched off the floor, with that challenging, hungry snarl. It was a wonder Hanzo didn’t lose his grip.

Hanzo could feel the sizeable bulge of Garbiel’s pants pressing against his inner thigh. He smiled wickedly, canting his hips grinding his own throbbing erection against it. Gabriel let out an almost pitiful moan, collapsing back to the ground, his head lulling to the side. With such a delicious reaction, Hanzo continued, savoring the friction against his own member, and the gasped profanity from his companion.

A small corner of his mind was still spiraling. Even if he allowed himself to imagine getting into a compromised position with Gabriel Fucking Reyes of all people, this was _not_ how he would have imagined it. But goddamn if he wasn’t enjoying every second. Besides, over the past few days he got to know him, learned he was just a man like anyone else. A gorgeous, powerful, sarcastic, charming man, who was currently making Hanzo’s cock throb harder than it had in years. He would take the man lying beneath him any day over the legend.

Gabriel bucked up against him, growing visibly frustrated with Hanzo’s persistent teasing. Hanzo finally relented, releasing one of Gabriel’s wrists so he could trail his hand between them. Hanzo didn’t even have time to ask permission as his fingers grazed Gabriel’s belt before the man gasped, “oh _god,_ yes.”

Hanzo worked Gabriel’s pants open, while Gabriel’s recently freed hand found purchase in Hanzo’s hair. He drew Hanzo into another devouring kiss as Hanzo tried to find his way through his undergarments. Hanzo had half a mind to pin his free hand again—he did absolutely love the way he writhed—but he allowed it.

Finally, Gabriel gasped as Hanzo’s hand found his cock. It felt deliciously hot in Hanzo’s palm. He ran his thumb over a wet bead of precum as Gabriel broke off the kiss, arching his back at the touch. Hanzo couldn’t stand it. He released Gabriel’s other wrist and started fumbling his own fly open, all the while still stroking Gabriel’s cock.

Gabriel’s freed hand quickly found its way under Hanzo’s shirt, icy cold digits eagerly feeling over Hanzo’s abs. Hanzo shivered both at the cold and the caress, his nipple going rock hard almost instantly as Gabriel’s hand made its way to it, pinching and teasing.

When Hanzo finally worked his cock free, Gabriel eagerly reached for it, no doubt hoping to return the favor. But Hanzo snagged his wrist again, slamming it back to the ground. Gabriel peered up at him curiously, only to be met with a wicked grin. Hanzo yanked and tugged Gabriel’s layers out of the way until his cock was fully free, laying large and uncut along his white clad belly.

Hanzo licked his lips finally getting a glimpse of it; though going down didn’t seem like the best idea given the temperature. Instead he ran his hand lazily along it, savoring the velvety smooth skin for a moment before he canted his hips again, rubbing his now bare member against it. Gabriel gasped and moaned low and long, the sound practically turning into a growl, his eyes fluttering closed.

After a few, teasing strokes, Hanzo clasped his hand around both of their cocks, stroking as he continued rocking his hips. Hanzo didn’t know what sight was more enticing, watching the fat purple head of Gabriel’s cock, poking out of his foreskin, sliding against Hanzo’s own throbbing member, or watching Gabriel’s face and the look of pure ecstasy etched across it, his eyes practically rolling back as he weakly, barely grasped a mantra of _”yes...yes...yes_.”

It didn’t take either of them long to reach their climax, in any other situation it would have been humiliatingly short, but at least they seemed to be on the same page. The throbbing pulse of Gabriel’s cock as he came against the sensitive underside of Hanzo’s pushed him firmly over the edge. Their cum splashed across Gabriel’s stomach nearly simultaneously.

Hanzo leaned his head against Gabriel’s chest, panting, coming down from his orgasm. A low rumble resonated through Gabriel’s chest as he chuckled, trailing his fingers through the mess on his stomach. Hanzo wheezed a laugh of his own, suddenly realizing with crystal clarity that Gabriel didn’t exactly have a spare change of clothes…

“Sorry didn’t really...think that through,” Hanzo said, leaning back. He picked up the edge of one of the rattier blankets, attempting to help clean up.

Gabriel chuckled, resting his head on his hands, watching Hanzo fondly as he attempted to wipe up their mess. It was a lost cause. Some had already soaked into the fibers…

“I wasn’t about to stop you,” Gabriel purred, reaching up to caress Hanzo’s chin as he tossed the blanket aside. Hanzo smiled, and finally tucked himself away, Gabriel doing the same.

Gabriel hummed, sitting up with earnest. He pushed Hanzo onto his back and rolled on top of him, Hanzo letting himself be guided this time, feeling practically lethargic after everything. He hovered inches from Hanzo’s face with that hungry glint in his eye, but after a few moments it faded, replaced by something softer. They lay there, frozen, entranced once again, staring into each other’s eyes. Hanzo wished he could see the rich brown of Gabriel’s dark eyes in the godforsaken orange light. Regardless he felt lost in their depths. Like he had been overtaken by some form of madness, and in all honesty he wasn’t fully convinced he hadn’t.

Gabriel reached up, gently tugging the tie from Hanzo’s ponytail, letting his hair free. He ran his fingers through it, as Hanzo sighed with contentment, his eyes fluttering shut. When their lips met again, it was something wholly different. Soft, languid, intimate.

Eventually, inevitably, the cold started making its way back into their world. Gabriel rolled off, allowing Hanzo to drag blankets out from under them. He climbed underneath, holding the blankets up as an invitation for Gabriel to join, which he did, happily.

“I haven’t felt like this in years,” Gabe breathed into Hanzo’s neck. Hanzo trailed his fingers through Gabriel’s close cropped hair, sighing with contentment, something warm and profound welling inside of him. He swallowed it back down.

“Nor have I…” Hanzo confessed.

Gabriel shifted, nestling into the crook of Hanzo’s arm, his head against Hanzo’s shoulder, while Hanzo’s fingers absentmindedly caressed his lower back.

The two lay in silence, cuddled close, fully sober and awake this time. Though how fuzzy and warm Hanzo felt would seem to belie the sober part, but at least it was a natural high.

The air was thick with the million things that needed to be said, but neither seemed eager to talk. _What happens now? What are they going to do when the storm ends? Was this just meant to be a chance encounter and they would go their separate ways?_ Hanzo’s throat tightened at the notion of departing. Gabriel seemed to sense his tension, and reached out, beginning to run his fingers through Hanzo’s hair once more.

“You smell terrible. But I like it,” Gabriel finally broke the silence. Hanzo couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his lips, his tension melting away with one stupid utterance.

“I haven’t showered in three days. You do not smell particularly of roses either.”

Gabriel snickered. “Yeah. I’d kill for a shower about now.”

“Or a bath…”

“Oh god yes. Just a nice, long, hot soak...I am definitely taking a bath when we get out of here. I bet Widow has fancy bath stuff I can steal too. Then I _would_ smell like roses...”

“Really? Widowmaker?” Hanzo asked, craning to look at his companion. He had the misfortune of meeting her a few times. She didn’t seem like the...luxurious bath salt type. She didn’t really seem like the taking pleasure in anything but killing type.

Gabriel grunted, sounding groggy. “Yeah, for being a _literal_ stone cold bitch, she has a secret girly streak about a mile wide,” he said half through a stifled yawn.

“Interesting. Regardless, smelling of roses or not, you are not...objectionable.”

Gabriel chuckled, low and rumbling. “Thanks.”

They lapsed into silence again. Hanzo was exhausted, between the seemingly endless duel and everything that came after, he felt his eyelids growing heavy. Especially with Gabriel gently stroking his hair in a pleasant, soothing rhythm, soon Hanzo found himself dozing off.

* * *

Hanzo woke feeling chilled. His companion was gone. He sat up, mind racing with alarm. Did he do something wrong? That had all been...very sudden, but it felt like they were on the same page. And had it really been sudden? After all the possibly subtle attempts at flirting he had been ignoring for the past two days-

Before Hanzo could spiral further, Gabriel reappeared, holding the electric kettle and a stack of instant noodle cartons.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said softly as he settled down on the blankets next to Hanzo, holding up his prizes. “We may have slept through dinner, figured I’d grab something.”

Hanzo smiled, his panic draining away. He eyed the stack of noodles— five packages in total— and raised a brow. “Hungry?”

“Frankly, after all that? Yes. But mostly I wasn’t sure which flavor you wanted,” Gabriel said with a smirk, holding the cartons out to Hanzo. Hanzo started sorting through them halfheartedly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. How long had he slept?

“Why do you have so many of these anyway?” Hanzo asked. There was quite the selection. Mushroom, curry, extra spicy...all vegetarian of course.

Gabriel shrugged. “They keep well. Tend to just stash a pile of them in the transport, since I never know when I’m gonna get stuck somewhere. Got in the habit of keeping a lot in there lately because Doomfist eats them and doesn’t replace them because he’s a _prick._ ”

Hanzo snorted at that. “Is Doomfist eating your food a common problem?”

“Honestly? Yeah. Have you seen the guy? I swear he needs like five million calories a day. He makes a big deal about keeping this really strict diet? Then just eats everyone’s food when he gets snacky,” Gabriel grumbled, rolling his eyes as Hanzo handed over his selection. Hanzo smiled, until he was reminded of something he said...was it really just the day before yesterday?

“Sorry. By the way. For calling you Doomfist’s bitch. I do not actually believe you are,” Hanzo said as Gabriel stacked their selected noodles in front of the heater to warm up. Who knew what pouring boiling water onto sub freezing noodles would do. Who knew what the cold had _already_ done to them.

Gabriel shrugged. “It was shit talk. Don’t worry about it. Sorry for making fun of your bow. You’re scary good with that thing, Talon wouldn’t have tried to recruit you otherwise…” he confessed, drawing a smug snort from Hanzo.

He nodded solemnly, placing his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Apology accepted. It is also fine that you think I’m pretty.”

Gabriel blinked, confused, until he remembered—‘pretty boy’ always struck Hanzo as a weird insult anyway. He laughed, planted his hand on Hanzo’s face, and gave him a playful shove. Hanzo fell back with a snicker. Gabriel leaned over him with a soft smile. “Well, you are pretty…” he said, gently brushing a stray lock of hair out of Hanzo’s face. Hanzo’s heart skipped a beat. Even with the lust filled haze finally subsided, he still found himself delighted by Gabriel’s smile, and touch, and that low growl of a voice.

Gabriel leaned in further, brushing his lips against Hanzo’s. He licked his lips as he pulled away, a smirk once again on his face. “I swear my lips are chapped now…”

Hanzo snorted. “You think you have it bad?” he asked, reaching up and gently scraping his nails across the sandpaper Gabriel was trying to pass off as skin along his jaw and neck. Gabriel chuckled, that low, rumbling sound Hanzo was coming to adore. It was all so sudden, it made Hanzo’s head spin.

“I uh. I thought you should know I do not usually...do things like that,” Hanzo said a little hesitantly. Gabriel sat up, looking puzzled, and concerned.

“Like what?”

“Rather. Things like that with someone I’ve only known for three days,” Hanzo clarified, sitting up. Gabriel’s expression softened immediately. He huffed a faint laugh.

“Me neither,” he said, sounding relieved.

The two fell into silence, the howling wind filling the quiet. Hanzo took a steadying breath, finally asking what he felt needed to be asked: “What now?”

Gabriel shook his head with a faint smile. “Now? Dinner.”

Hanzo deflated a little at the dodge, but he couldn’t be too disappointed. The vast majority of him did not want to talk about it either. Instant noodles and curling up with Gabriel sounded just fine.

Hanzo found himself once again seated next to Gabriel, shoulder to shoulder—he supposed it was their routine now—eating steaming, mediocre noodles. They were, perhaps, a little closer than before. And Hanzo wasn’t the least bit alarmed when Gabriel’s hand came down to rest on his knee. Hanzo leaned his head against Gabriel’s shoulder with a sigh once he finished his meal. Perhaps it was best simply not to question what they had, and enjoy it for however long they could.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever told anyone about...uh...me and Jack,” Gabriel said, hesitantly, breaking the long silence, sounding nervous. “I guess I tend to… Tend to overshare when I get drunk.”

“We all have… unfortunate moments in our romantic histories,” Hanzo tried to reassure, Gabriel just grunted. Silence began building between them again, Gabriel still feeling a little tense at his side. Hanzo took a steadying breath.

“There was a young man who worked for my family years ago. He wasn’t even a criminal, none of them ever caught my eye. Too...vulgar. Not to mention too busy constantly trying to curry favor. No, this man helped maintain the landscaping. Honest straightforward work—well, as honest as it could be working for my family. But he was beautiful, strong, graceful, and he smiled every time he saw me. He had such a gorgeous smile. I was young, and foolish, and smitten immediately.

“After a time, I started inviting him to share tea with me during his breaks. Then lunch. He seemed to enjoy my company, and I his. After a time I would let him leave early, without finishing his duties, or take extended sick leave that we both knew had nothing to do with illness. I started buying him gifts. A tin of his favorite tea at first, as a holiday present, you know. That was my excuse,” Hanzo chuckled, drawing an amused snort from Gabriel.

“The gifts, started to escalate. Sweets, flowers, clothes...honestly anything that reminded me of him. I swear, for a while, all of my time that wasn’t spent on training or the family business was spent on him. Then one muggy summer day, we were alone in the garden. The air was thick with the scent of flowers he coaxed into bloom… and I finally worked up the nerve to kiss him.

“And he just... Sat there. He didn’t return it, he didn’t pull away, just. Motionless. I asked him what was wrong, and he said it was nothing, and continued admiring the garden as if nothing happened. I was...perplexed. So naturally after he left I had one of my men follow him,” Hanzo said, Gabriel choked down a laugh.

“Naturally.”

Hanzo shrugged with a smirk. “I was a young, spoiled crime boss, what do you want from me?” He said, drawing a chuckle from Gabriel. He shook his head. “But yes it was all terrible in retrospect.”

“It turned out, he had a girlfriend. It’s doubtful he was even interested in men at all. I was shocked, I felt used. Here I was, showering him in gifts and favors and he was just playing along. It was only years later I realized I must have put him in a terrible position. A simple gardener catches the attention of the eldest son of the Shimada clan? What was he supposed to do? He was always friendly and polite, but never truly reciprocated, I was just too smitten to notice. Though he did seem happy to take advantage of the favors I granted him…” Hanzo trailed off with a sigh.

“Who knows. But I didn’t want to see his face again, so I had him fired. I had half a mind to have him beaten too, but fortunately what little goodness I had in me at the time won out. As if making him lose his job for rebuffing me wasn’t terrible enough. I was a monster back then. Genji is not the only source of my regrets, though my crimes against him were...beyond redemption.”

Hanzo placed his hand over Gabriel’s giving it a light squeeze. “There, now you know a story of mine I have told no one.”

Gabriel shifted his hand, entwining his fingers with Hanzo’s. “You didn’t have to share…”

“No. But I wanted to,” Hanzo said, truthfully. He wasn’t proud of the story, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to get it off his chest. But he felt Gabriel had already shared so much, it felt wrong that he had so little to offer. “Do you think it will be the same when we leave this place?” Hanzo asked, a little hesitantly.

Gabriel sighed heavily, leaning his face into Hanzo’s hair. “I don’t know-” he started, before a deafening shriek split the air, making both men jump. “Oh _god DAMNIT_ ,” Gabriel yelled. “Could you bastards leave us alone?!”

“I don’t think yelling at them is helping,” Hanzo called over the noise, which quickly shifted to loud static.

“I was really hopeful those wards were working,” Gabriel bemoaned, as little clips of audio logs started playing over the speakers.

“ _research- research- research- cold nap-”_ the speakers played with two different voices.

Hanzo sighed. “Hopefully they will desist quickly like they did the previous night's,” Hanzo said, Gabriel nodded, running his hand down his face. It seemed the terror from the previous nights had faded, or as much as haunting related fear ever could. That was, until they heard a new noise. A loud, metallic groan...and this wasn’t coming from the speakers.

The two exchanged alarmed glances before bursting out of the shelter. Antarctic wind and snow came screeching in through a slowly expanding slit in the wall. The cargo door was opening.

Both men took off running, Hanzo to the door, and Gabriel to the computer, shouting voice commands at the computer as he went. Hanzo grabbed onto the door’s manual handle, digging the heels of his prosthetics into the floor as he pulled with all his might to try and force the door closed again. The door groaned loudly in protest, the motors grinding, no doubt already having enough trouble breaking through years of ice and neglect.

The wind wasn’t simply cold, it _burned_. He pulled his sleeves over his hands as he gripped the door, the metal stinging even through the cloth. Why hadn’t he grabbed his gloves? He desperately looked to Gabriel, to see if he made any progress. The screens were on, but from how violently the door fought him, he didn’t seem to be making progress. After a few more fruitless moments fighting the computer, the man ran to the power cell, ripping it from its dock. The computer went dead, plunging the room into darkness, but the door kept groaning, trying to fight its way open.

“How!? There’s no power!” Gabriel exclaimed from the darkness, his voice strained.

“Try reasoning with them!” Hanzo yelled back, gritting his teeth against the stinging cold. The wind blew with such ferocity it stole the breath from his lungs and made the snow feel like he was being assaulted with a sand blaster. His face and hands were on fire, and he could already feel the cold making its way up his prosthetics too his legs. His teeth chattered as he strained. He didn’t have any better ideas. The ghosts clearly had a problem with Gabriel, it seemed most likely if either could appease them it would be him. Letting the cargo door open fully would likely spell death for them both.

“I don’t know- Please! You’re going to kill us! You came out here to save people, don’t do this!” Gabriel pleaded. The door continued to groan. Hanzo swore as he started sliding, his heels digging gouges into the floor. The wind and cold pummeled him with renewed fury, forcing Hanzo to finally give up his grip. He staggered away, clutching his burning hands to his chest, ducking away from the cold as the door slowly ground open.

“Shit! Look! I’m sorry, okay? I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault, it’s all my fucking fault. I had so much to deal with, with Blackwatch, Overwatch. The whole...the whole damn thing went up in flames and I forgot. We forgot. It’s no goddamn excuse. How could we forget six lives out here? God, you guys weren’t soldiers. You were counting on us. And we failed. We failed in the worst way. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” Gabriel pleaded, his voice raw, Hanzo would have been surprised if there weren’t tears in his eyes. He suspected Gabriel had been haunted by the lost expedition out here long before the literal haunting began.

“Maybe I deserve to be frozen to death out here. But Hanzo’s trying to save your research and help Mei! I swear I won’t complete my mission! Please!”

After a few more long, agonizing moments, the door went quiet. Hanzo staggered back to the door and wrenched on the handle with all his strength, dragging it closed. He staggered away as a strange hush fell over the room.

Hanzo shivered violently as he staggered back towards the center of the room. He left his snow boots, gloves, and coat in the shelter, and the wind cut through his layers like they didn’t even exist. Finally a light flashed on, Gabriel pointed the beam at him, swearing again.

“Hanzo, are you okay…god you’re frozen,” Gabriel rushed forward, wrapping his arms around Hanzo, pulling him to his chest in an attempt to warm him more than anything else. He swore quietly. “You feel like ice,” he said, beginning to furiously brush off all the snow that accumulated on Hanzo while he fought the door. Though Hanzo could already feel where some of the accursed tiny ice crystals penetrated his layers, chilling him to the bone.

_Everything_ hurt. Gabriel shuffled him off to the shelter, tucking him away in what little warmth remained there, before darting away to restore the power. When the blessed orange light of the heater finally came on, Hanzo suddenly saw one of the tarps dangling down, torn in half by the wind. A little bit of snow even made its way inside the shelter itself. Hanzo reached with burning hands to try and brush it away, but found himself shivering too violently to be of any use.

Then, another burn came to his attention. His legs. Or rather, his stumps. The prostheses were burning against his skin. He started fumbling with the release, trying to get them off, his fingers stiff, clumsily, and useless at trying to work with his layers of clothes and the fiddly releases.

Gabriel reappeared with a first aid kit, blinking at Hanzo.

“The metal’s burning me,” Hanzo explained shakily. Gabriel sprung into action quickly, but gently helping Hanzo remove his legs. Hanzo sighed with relief when the metal finally detached, and Gabriel inspected his stumps.

“It doesn’t look like there’s any real frostbite, pretty red though…” he said, cracking open the first aid kit. Hanzo swallowed down a ball of anxiety. He hated being legless in front of people. Plenty of people lost limbs during the crisis, he wasn’t self conscious about his prostheses in general. He didn’t care that people knew, obviously, considering the legs he chose. But he always felt vulnerable without them, a feeling he despised. And here he was, hands so frostbitten and frozen he could barely move his fingers, shivering convulsively with no legs. He had to fight down a screaming bit of panic in his mind, taking a deep breath.

Gabriel didn’t seem to notice Hanzo’s distress, as he was too busy fussing over Hanzo like a mother hen. A mother hen with giant claws who happened to look exactly like Reaper. The anxiety slowly started melting away, along with the cold. There was something endearing in that wide-eyed concern. Hanzo couldn’t help but smile, then chuckle as Gabriel piled blankets around him, tucked warming packs into his clothes and gingerly applied medicated nanite salve to every red, raw patch of skin. Gabriel blinked.

“What’s so funny?”

“You,” Hanzo said simply, Gabriel quirked a brow. “You must have been a good person to have along on cold weather missions.”

Gabriel grunted, eyes downcast. He gingerly picked up Hanzo’s hands, flipping them over to look at his palms. His skin was angry, blotchy and marbled, a few blisters already slowly forming on his fingers. Frost bitten for sure. He quickly applied a generous amount of the salve.

“I don’t like the looks of your hands,” Gabriel mumbled, cupping them gently between his gloves. He brought Hanzo’s fingers to his lips, breathing on them gently. Hanzo snorted.

“Nor do I.” Hanzo glared down at his hands. They no longer hurt. Which could only be a bad sign.

“I have an additional source of restorative nanites but it’s. Uh...weird…” Gabriel offered, avoiding eye contact.

“I will take whatever will minimize the damage,” Hanzo said quickly. He didn’t know what to make of his behavior, but at the moment he firmly didn’t care. He could _not_ lose mobility in his hands. His life would be as good as over if he could no longer use his bow. The shock was the only thing keeping the panic coiling in his gut from taking over.

Gabriel nodded, releasing Hanzo’s hands and pulling off a glove. Hanzo watched in shock as he dug the claw of his gloved hand into the meat of his bare one, bright purplish blood welling to the surface. He cringed, those claws were sharp, but they weren’t _that_ sharp.

“The regenerative nanites in my bloodstream are really engineered to work with my genetics. But they seem to work on surface damage for others temporarily,” he explained as blood pooled in his hand. Hanzo stared.

“Okay…” Hanzo said a little hesitantly, holding out his hands. Might as well try, he had warned him it was strange. Gabriel nodded, pulling off his other glove with his teeth, before he began applying the blood gently to Hanzo’s hands, as casually as he had the ointment. Hanzo honestly wasn’t sure if the strange purple tint of the blood made the process more or less strange. At least it was a clear sign there was something different about it, lending credence to the nanite claim, and that he wasn’t just rubbing his blood all over Hanzo for no reason like some sort of lunatic.

The regular ointment, smeared across his face and legs warmed and provided a pleasant tingle a short time after application, while it did nothing to his hands. After a few minutes, however, the blood simply started to _burn_. Hanzo gritted his teeth, his hands shaking as Gabriel put an adhesive bandage over his fresh puncture.

Gabriel once again took Hanzo’s hands in his own, gently breathing on them. “Yeah, sorry, it hurts like a bitch. They’re not the most considerate little robots. Here I was hoping the first aid nanites would help with the numbing…”

Hanzo forced half a laugh through clenched teeth as Gabriel loosely bandaged his hands, keeping everything in place. He took a few, deep, steadying breaths. “Well. At least we know my nerve endings still work?”

Gabriel grunted in affirmation, before he began winding himself into the blankets with Hanzo, curling around him. Hanzo greedily cuddled into the warmth, still shivering.

“I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”

“I believe it is the fault of the ghosts.”

“I’m the one they’re mad at.”

“Perhaps, but you could not have predicted this. Besides, you’re the one who got them to stop.” Hanzo countered.

“I still can’t believe that worked…”

_Neither can I._ Hanzo kept the thought to himself. “I am...relieved it did,” Hanzo said through gritted teeth, another wave of pain surging through his hands. Gabriel drew him closer, burying his face in Hanzo’s hair. They lapsed into silence once again. Hanzo closed his eyes as he leaned his head against Gabriel’s chest, beyond exhausted as his shivers finally started to subside. Cocooned against Gabriel, he eventually let his eyes slide closed, and drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -This is so weirdly specifically my style in so many ways it's embarrassing?  
> -I like to think Gabe's internal monologue after Hanzo says he doesn't 'do stuff like that' is something along the lines of "if you nohomo me i stg I'm punting you into the blizzard"  
> -Hope you enjoyed!  
> -There's no lube in Antarctica. It's all frozen.


	4. Chapter 4

“Hey, Hanzo...wake up,” a voice whispered as Hanzo felt a gentle nudge. He groaned, every inch of him ached. It took a few moments to orient himself, discovering he’d fallen asleep sitting, curled against Gabriel’s chest. The good and terrible events of the day before flooded back in, and Hanzo quickly, experimentally flexed his fingers. They responded with only minimal stiffness, and he could feel the bandages rubbing uncomfortably, a good sign. He could feel his fingers loosening back up even as he moved them.

To his dismay it was still very, thoroughly dark when he raised his heavy eyelids. The torn silvery flap of tarp fluttering in the gentle breeze of the heater. A sudden pang of annoyance hit him. It was still dark and they weren’t dying, what possible reason could Gabriel have for waking him- before he heard it. Silence. The wind no longer howled.

Hanzo scrubbed the sleep from his eyes as he looked towards one of the skylights, then froze in awe. Great curtains of light hung suspended in the sky, vivid purples fading down to stripes of green snaking their way through the sky, ever so gently pulsing and shifting. 

“It is beautiful…” Hanzo murmured, scooting around to get an easier view, grateful the windows were so large.

“Isn’t it? The storm started subsiding around midnight. These showed up as soon as the clouds blew off.”

Hanzo had seen the Northern Lights before, magical, ghostly wisps of green dancing across the horizon. But they paled in comparison to this. It looked like glowing watercolors spilled across the sky. 

“What time is it?” Hanzo asked, finally drawing his attention away from the sky, if not his eyes.

“About five.”

“Have you been awake this whole time?”

“Nah, I dozed on and off...how are your hands, by the way?” Gabriel asked, his own hand reaching down to gently brush across the bandages. 

“There does not appear to be any substantial damage.”

“Good. Guess the nanites did their job. They’re mean little bastards, but they’re effective.”

Hanzo frowned, tearing his eyes away from the lights just long enough to glance at Gabriel’s face, his brow furrowed. “Does...it always hurt that much. I mean. Healing?” Hanzo asked. Healing from an injury always came with its own pain, of course, but that was absurd. He felt Gabriel shrug. 

“More or less. Minor injuries heal pretty fast so it’s over quickly. And I can regenerate just about anything. It has its advantages and its drawbacks. I’ve gotten pretty used to it.”

Hanzo’s eyes trailed back to the lights in the sky, not sure what to make of that. He shifted in the circle of Gabriel’s arms again, trying to get comfortable for the viewing, grateful the windows were still relatively clear. Though as he moved, he was acutely reminded that he was missing something. Hanzo tensed, his eyes darting to his prosthetic legs laying on the blankets next to him, that horrible sinking feeling of vulnerability settling in. He determinedly fought it down. 

Instead he tried to focus on how pleasantly warm Gabriel’s chest felt pressed against his back. The welcome, if completely unfamiliar sensation of being wrapped securely in someone’s arms. The breathtaking splendor of the aurora’s glow. And the storm was over. They were safe. They could finally leave.

Though neither was in any hurry to move. Even Hanzo’s burning desire to reattach his legs slowly dissipated. It was nice to let his legs rest. He slept in the prostheses more often than not, despite doctor’s orders to let his skin breathe regularly. He paid top dollar on those things so he wouldn’t have to worry about it so much. Besides, what was he supposed to do if one of his enemies found him in the dead of night?

A part of him ached at the thought of leaving. It was absurd. This place was miserably dark, and stinging cold. He felt filthy and itchy and was swiftly running out of palatable food to eat. His mattress was a rock hard floor covered in some stray lumpy mats. His blankets and pillows smelled musty and downright bizarre. 

But he didn’t have to look over his shoulder. And he wasn’t alone. He savored the sensation of Gabriel’s arms wound around him. His pulse quickened at the memory of their sudden, passionate encounter. He wanted nothing more than to slowly peel every last one of Gabriel’s garments off, run his hands over the man’s chiseled muscles, trace his lips across his rich, brown skin. Not that he could do that here. Getting naked here would get very cold very quickly.

He enjoyed the peace for as long as he could, admiring the aurora, reclining in Gabriel’s arms, until the sun’s rays finally started to lighten the sky, washing out the delicate colors.

“What was your mission anyway?” Hanzo asked, his attention finally falling back to earth.

“Why do you ask?”

Hanzo shrugged. “You promised the spirits you wouldn’t complete it. It made me curious.”

Gabriel grunted. “Fair enough. I needed to boost some code from their modified system AI. And I was supposed to scramble the whole thing on the way out to make sure no one else could grab it.”

“Then why did you let me get my data? Or had you planned on backstabbing me?” Hanzo asked.

“Nah. The weather data had nothing to do with it. I didn’t even know Mei left any behind. No reason to waste it.”

“Will the others be angry that you didn’t complete your mission?” 

Gabriel sighed. “Probably. But I can give some line about the systems being too damaged. Have Sombra make fun of me for not being tech savvy enough. It wasn’t too critical, I should be fine. But they might be suspicious of me for a while.”

“I’m sorry to hear that...” Hanzo said, frowning.

“Eh. We’re always suspicious of each other,” he reassured, his voice distant. After a beat he let out a long sigh. “I suppose we should probably head out…” Gabriel said a little reluctantly. Hanzo grunted in agreement.

“Indeed. But first? Tea.”

Hanzo reattached his legs and made tea as Gabriel gathered up their supplies in silence. Gabriel offered to help, on account of Hanzo’s hands, but he was fine, spare a smattering of superficial blisters. With the tea brewed, they sat side by side, drinking the warm beverage out of their sad tin cups.

The tea gone, and their excuses to linger removed, they packed up and headed out to the transports. Neither said much, what little conversation there was remained superficial. Commenting at how little snow had piled up considering the ferocity of the storm. The clarity of the weather. Gratitude that the transports were where they left them and apparently unscathed. 

They loaded up their things in their respective vehicles, turned the engines on, and ran their safety checks. Everything was fine. There was nothing keeping them any longer. 

“So... this is goodbye then,” Hanzo said reluctantly as they stood in the snow, face to face, less than an arm's length away but not touching, some invisible bubble of anxiety encapsulating them in their own worlds. 

Gabriel sighed. “Yeah, I suppose it is,” he said. He looked Hanzo over, biting his lip. He opened his mouth to speak a few times before he finally settled on the words. “That. That meant something. Didn’t it? What we...” he trailed off weakly, his hand gesturing, grasping for something ephemeral. Hanzo reached up to capture the clawed hand.

“I believe it did,” Hanzo said, cupping Gabriel’s hand in both of his. Those long claws gently folded over his fingers, his other hand coming to join.

“We can’t just. Leave it like this,” he smiled ruefully at Hanzo. “Are you sure you don’t want to join Talon?”

Hanzo sighed. “I’m afraid my answer has to remain no. There are...things I must do,” he squeezed Gabriel’s hand. “Don’t tell me this has all just been an elaborate honeypot mission to get me to join?” he teased, Gabriel laughed.

“Can you imagine? That they would be dumb enough to send me, of all people, on a honeypot,” Gabriel said with a dramatic sigh. Hanzo chuckled, a real smile on his lips.

“A mad idea, perhaps. But it worked. Or nearly worked.”

Gabriel hummed, staring into Hanzo’s eyes as melancholy settled back over them. They were both outlaws, exiles who made it a point to be as hard to find as possible. It wasn’t as if they could just call each other up once their flights were over and have coffee. It was probably dangerous for them to be romantically entangled at all. The cold reality weighed heavily on Hanzo’s shoulders, and Gabriel’s as well from his defeated look. Then all at once, his face lit up. 

Gabriel pulled his hands away, holding up a finger, signaling for Hanzo to wait. “I have an idea,” he explained hastily, before turning into a black cloud of gas, trailing rapidly up the ramp to his transport. Hanzo was unsure why the transformation was necessary, but he stopped trying to make sense of when he chose to mist around. 

A few moments later he returned with a small, flat, black square. He held the device up, revealing a mostly black screen with a singular turquoise square in the middle. “Put your thumb on it,” he instructed. Hanzo raised a brow, but complied. Gabriel nodded in approval, then fiddled with it a few moments more before handing it to Hanzo. “A communicator. A very, very high security communicator. It’s tied to your thumbprint now. Messages are text only and disappear after they are read. It’s only capable of communicating with my paired unit. It’s a bit lacking in features but, on the plus side though, even Sombra would have a hard time hacking it. Maybe this way we can stay in touch? Try to see if we can’t...meet up again…” Gabriel explained, almost growing nervous as he went on.

Hanzo turned the small device over in his palm. With the exception of the glossy screen on one side it was completely plain. No buttons, no ports. No discernible way to turn it on or access it. Finally he smiled up at Gabriel. “An excellent plan. Though, how does it work?”

Gabriel gave him the quick tutorial, how to unlock with his thumbprint, read messages, and bring up the minuscule keyboard. And told him to leave it face up in the sun for a couple hours every few weeks to charge. A clever little device. Useful for people who led the kind of lives they did. His only strange instruction was for Hanzo to wait for Gabriel to message first, he sounded concerned about nosy colleagues. Though from what he heard of that Sombra character, his paranoia seemed founded.

Hanzo thanked him, tucking the device away in an inner pocket, close to his body. He reached up, gently pulling Gabriel into a kiss. It was tender, and longer than Hanzo intended, but _god_ he didn’t want to part.

“Then I guess this is goodbye...for now,” Hanzo said finally, cupping Gabriel’s cheek as they separated. He smiled warmly at Hanzo.

“Yeah. For now.”

Hanzo had drag himself away. Despite his desire to linger, and all the emotions swirling in his chest, his face was beginning to sting from the cold. He hurried up the ramp to his transport, afraid if he hesitated or looked back he would do something foolish like decided to run off and join Talon, or search for some other impulsive way for them to stay together. It was only goodbye for now. 

_For now_.

* * *

The flight back to Argentina was dreadfully dull, and amazingly painful. It seemed as if the boredom left Hanzo with no other alternative than to ruminate on his sadness. The whole event felt unreal. How had a simple retrieval mission taken such an unexpected turn? How had he found himself romantically involved with Reaper who was, simultaneously, one of his boyhood crushes? How had he become so infatuated with someone in so little time. He had half grown convinced his heart died with his brother. Perhaps discovering Genji was alive had allowed it to beat again.

When the transport landed, Hanzo finally felt like he arrived back in reality. As if the last four days were all some sort of heady dream. Some sort of childish fantasy brought to life. Only now he felt dreadfully empty. 

A familiar shape came bounding out onto the tarmac as Hanzo descended the transport’s ramp. Dr. Zhou. Distantly he realized he forgot to radio in that he was incoming. The transport was lent to him by her colleagues for the mission, so at least they would recognize it. 

“Oh my gosh! You’re okay! We were so worried when we saw the storm blowing in! But we couldn’t get a message through!” Mei cried, coming just short of flinging her arms around Hanzo in a great bear hug. He was grateful she didn’t. 

“I appreciate your concern, but it was fine. I was able to weather the storm easily enough,” Hanzo said as he reached into his pocket. He held out the data chip for Dr. Zhou. “The information should all be on here.” 

Hanzo dropped the chip into Mei’s eagerly offered cupped hands. She reminded him of a kid in a candy store, the way her eyes lit up. Scientists. 

“Thank you! I am in your debt!”

“Nonsense. I was merely doing what you paid me to do.”

Mei giggled. “Of course! We will transfer the credits right away. Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?” Mei asked, eyes darting between Hanzo and the chip, virtually bubbling over with happiness. 

Hanzo grunted. “I would not say no to a hot shower…”

“Of course!”

Mei happily shuffled him off to some employee showers. The water pressure was too high, the shower apparently trying to blast off his skin so much as wash him, but it was blessedly warm, and he finally felt _clean_. Gabriel’s suggestion of a jacuzzi rang in the back of his mind. That sounded worlds better. But this would have to do. 

He emerged at least a little refreshed, and found Mei’s colleagues in the midst of throwing what Hanzo could only characterize as a cute, nerdy little celebration at the data’s arrival. They eagerly shared their pizza, and practically begged Hanzo to stay. Usually he would have refused, but he was exhausted after his excursion, and happy enough to stick around for a time. At least until morning, when he’d pick a new place to go and once again disappear into the woodwork. Besides, their joy was infectious, and a welcome distraction from Hanzo’s thoughts.

As the evening quieted down, Hanzo found himself sitting alone on a couch in the communal recreation area, turning the small device over and over in his hand. Part of him wanted to send a message. Ask if Gabriel arrived wherever he was going safely, but of course he wasn’t supposed to. A paranoid spark rang in his head that he would never hear from Gabriel. Not because he was in any danger or suffered any ill fate, but simply because he changed his mind. But if that was the case there was nothing he could do about it. And besides, it had been less than twelve hours. He needed to get a hold of himself.

Hanzo sipped his beer—not his first choice of beverage, but it went fine with the pizza—and tried to put the concerns out of his head. He propped his feet up on the couch and leaned back, determined not to think about it. He just made enough money to keep him comfortable for a while, and did a good deed while he was at it. 

Hanzo didn’t realize he had fallen asleep until he found himself waking up. He blinked at the blanket which had appeared over him. He tossed it aside, face flushed. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen asleep in such an unsecured place, and had apparently slept through someone draping a blanket over him. It was dark, and the building was quiet, he had slept for quite a while. His Antarctic adventure apparently got to him more than he thought. 

He felt a strange pulse in his hand. He looked down, realizing he was still holding the little device. The screen now sported the small square symbol on it. Hanzo placed his thumb over it, and the symbol blossomed into words. 

_“Would it be pathetic if I said I missed you already?”_

Hanzo smiled, flushing hotter, immensely grateful no one was there to see the stupid look on his face. He tapped at the screen a few more times, prompting the keyboard to appear. 

_“Perhaps. But if that is the case I am equally pathetic.”_ Hanzo wrote back. 

_“I want to see you, but they are more suspicious of me than I anticipated after I failed my mission. It may take some time.”_ the message flashed up on the tiny screen. Hanzo frowned. He supposed that was probably a hard one to explain. The connection with his past life, and being there trapped with an unnamed stranger just made it worse. 

_“Also Sombra is still trying to figure out who was there with me. I would watch your back. She didn’t believe me when I told her I ate you.”_

Hanzo snorted. _“I can’t imagine why not. Do you think she would move against me?”_ he wrote back.

_“Unlikely. But I’m sure she would find some inconvenient way to use the information.”_

_“So by that you mean she will tease you mercilessly?”_ Hanzo wrote. 

_“Likely. But she will also probably find a way to bother you.”_

Hanzo smiled at the message, though moments later a follow up appeared.

 _“I have to go. I will contact you later.”_ and with that the little box went blank and inert once more.

The next day, Hanzo set out again. The events of the week, and the heavy sadness weighing on him made him desperately homesick. Unfortunately going back to Japan wasn’t a wise decision for now. He ran into some old business associates last time he visited. It had not ended well. Instead he decided that wandering where he was at the very southern tip of Argentina up to Canada would take him through a number of places he hadn’t visited, and could waste some time while the heat cooled in Japan. He would likely run out of funds before the trip was through, but surely he’d find some work along the way. 

The communicator remained blank and inert for days, which slowly turned into weeks. Eventually Hanzo sent a message, asking after Gabriel’s well being, and a few days later got a curt message assuring that he was fine, and that he would contact Hanzo soon. Then there was more silence. Worry and itching resentment started coiling in his mind. Eventually he spotted a headline of some spectacular raid on a top secret research facility, with a security cam capturing a blurry image of a familiar black streak. 

Hanzo grew angry at himself, more than anything else. Gabriel— _Reaper_ was busy. Of course that explained it. Unlike Hanzo, he had something better to do other than pointlessly wander from one hemisphere to the other, pining over some guy he knew for four days. Hanzo did have a plan, he did have goals for himself, for his life. But sometimes the path of how to get there wasn’t clear. Now was one of those times. 

He did take the time to try and improve on himself, at least a little. He made it a point meditate every morning. He could practically hear Genji’s annoying voice in the back of his head, encouraging him. After spending so much time with that monk, Genji had become perhaps more infuriating. He was carefree and irresponsible as a boy, and now he was carefree and tranquil as an adult. Hanzo on the other hand cared all too much, all the time, about everything, to a crushing degree. Perhaps aimless travel would serve him well. Force him to clear his head. 

He traveled on foot when the climate and scenery were favorable, and took trains and buses when it wasn’t. He tried to keep his credit expenditures as untraceable as possible, never staying in one place too long. Though he still had to keep a constant eye out, his funds let him stick to smaller cities and towns. Fewer jobs, but also fewer criminal organizations, fewer eyes, less of a chance someone might recognize him. It helped him feel a little safer.

The security didn’t help chase the other ghosts from his mind, however. Gabriel haunted him. Every night he lay in whatever scruffy hotel or hostel he could find, blankets wrapped tight around himself, wishing Gabriel was laying next to him, entwined in his arms or holding Hanzo close. Other nights, especially if he had been drinking, he’d find himself with his cock in his hand, desperately imagining raking his teeth across Gabriel’s neck, his body writing under Hanzo’s touch, his breathless desperate whispers of desire. He cursed himself for it. He didn’t need anyone, and he most certainly didn’t need a man he’d known for only four days. But nothing quelled the lingering desire, his loneliness growing more profound than it had in years.

The communicator remained quiet until one morning. Hanzo sat in a cafe on the Peruvian coast, enjoying a cup of coffee, watching some songbirds squabble over the remnants of a pastry. At least until a seagull rudely dive bombed in, scattering the smaller birds, and swallowed down the morsel in one frantic gulp. Hanzo about jumped out of his skin when he felt the thrumming vibration in his pocket. His pulse skyrocketed as he fumbled the device out, eagerly opening the message, half thrilled that he finally heard something, half terrified of what the message might be.

_“Hanzo?”_

_“I was starting to wonder if I would hear from you again.”_

_“I know, I’m so sorry, it has been chaotic. It feels like they’re watching me constantly. But I couldn’t stand it anymore, I can’t stop thinking about you.”_

Hanzo ran his finger along the edges of the communicator as if he was stroking Gabriel’s face rereading the message a few times. He felt warm all over, the tension that had been building in him over the weeks, now months, slowly melting away. He shouldn’t be gratified to hear Gabriel felt as miserable as he did, but he was.

 _“Nor can I,”_ Hanzo wrote back simply, at a loss, nearly too overwhelmed to form words.

_“It’s still not safe to meet up. But I needed to hear from you, even if it is just letters on a screen.”_

_“I would not want for you to put yourself at risk for my sake,”_ Hanzo wrote, half of him feeling like it was a lie.

 _“I don’t care anymore. The silence is killing me.”_

Hanzo read the message a few times over before responding. He hated how the words disappeared. He wanted to ingrain them in his mind. Though something about the urgency concerned him. _“Are you alright?”_

_“Yes. It’s 3AM and I have not slept in 36 hours but aside from that...”_

Hanzo chuckled. He supposed that would explain the tone. He wondered where it was 3AM in the world right now. Hanzo’s best guess put him firmly in the middle of the Pacific ocean somewhere, which couldn’t be right. Then again, who could guess what he was up to. Either way, it certainly wasn’t anywhere nearby, and he knew better than to ask. _“I am very happy to hear from you. I have also desperately missed you. But in light of that I feel like I should tell you to go to sleep.”_

 _“Mission’s over. I don’t want to sleep.”_

Hanzo smiled, halfway through composing his response when a follow up appeared.

_“I think about you every night. I lay in bed, imagining you are there beside me. Your hands on my body, your lips on my neck, your warm breath across my skin. I want to taste you, feel you. I can’t stand this.”_

The rest of the world faded away as Hanzo processed the message. His breathing grew shallow, and he crossed his legs uncomfortably under the dainty bistro table, shocked at how thoroughly a few simple words ignited his lust. He could barely formulate words for a response.

_“I have had similar thoughts. It has been difficult.”_

From how quickly Gabriel’s response appeared, Hanzo suspected he had begun typing before Hanzo even put together a response. _“I imagine us together, carefully, methodically undressing each other, one garment at a time. I run my lips all over your body, tangle my fingers in your silky hair. You are the image of perfection, like an idle of all my worldly desires given flesh and I have come to worship at your feet, and all I have to offer you is my body. You lay me down gently as I guide you inside, and we make love until nothing in the world exists outside of our entangled bodies and the intoxicating scent of our passion.”_

Hanzo’s mouth fell open, his cheeks growing hot. He fumbled a tip out of his pocket for the waitress, taking the opportunity to discreetly rearrange what was now most assuredly a prominent erection in the process. He hurried out of the coffee shop, and back to his hotel room across the street. By the time he safely locked the door behind him, a new message appeared on the communicator. 

_“Hanzo?”_

_“Apologies, I had to move somewhere more private than a coffee shop.”_

_“Somewhere private enough that you can think of me as you touch yourself?”_

_“Yes, who wouldn’t after that?”_ Hanzo replied quickly, a little embarrassed to be called out, but at the same time there was no denying it. And goddamnit, when did Gabriel become a poet?

_“Good. I want you to imagine my hands on you, our lips pressed together, biting until the iron taste of blood slides across your tongue. I pull on your hair as I squeeze and stroke your cock, bringing you to the brink before I let go. I lower myself to your groin, inhaling your musk before sliding your cock into my mouth, down my throat, swallowing everything you have to give me.”_

Hanzo was more than happy to abide as by Gabriel’s instructions as the series of messages appeared on the screen, stroking himself with an almost embarrassing degree of eagerness. He bit his lip as he tried to puzzle out what possible response he could have to that, his lust filled brain too cloudy for any real coherent thought. 

They exchanged a number of lust filled messages, detailing the ways they’d dreamed of one other, until Hanzo couldn’t take it anymore. _“Fuck. I wish you were here.”_ He wrote.

_“But I am there. If you close your eyes, can’t you feel my lips on you? I can feel your cock throbbing against my tongue as I stroke myself. I can’t help it, your taste is too much for me.”_

Hanzo swallowed thickly, his head lulling back as he stroked himself. The funny thing was, he almost could feel him. _“Your mouth feels so good,”_ Hanzo managed to fumble out before he reached the precipice. 

_“I want to swallow every salty drop of you,”_ the message appeared just as Hanzo’s orgasm hit him like an avalanche, choked off cries tearing free from his throat, ringing loudly in the silence of the room. He arched his back as his cock throbbed, shooting hot ropes of cum all over his hand and pants. He panted as he came down, the world a little fuzzy around the edges. 

_“Did you cum for me?”_ Gabriel asked after a prolonged silence as Hanzo tried to pull himself back together, and clean off his hand.

_“Yes. You were amazing.”_

_“Mmm. So were you.”_

Hanzo laughed faintly as he finally came back down to earth. He felt ridiculous, and amazingly satisfied. He still wished Gabriel was really there with him, but this was more than he could have hoped for.

 _“I wish I had a transcript. When did you become so poetic?”_ Hanzo finally wrote.

_“The price of security. And I suppose you bring it out of me.”_

Slowly the conversation drifted to more mundane places. Hanzo talked of where he had been, and what he’d been doing. Gabriel shared complaints about his colleagues, and incompetent operatives. They were able to talk again, almost as they had before. 

That morning marked the end of the silence. Before long the messages became near constant. Rarely anything important. Hanzo saw a beautiful sunset, Gabriel found a particularly delicious diner, Hanzo got horribly lost and found himself in a charming village that didn’t seem to be on any map, Gabriel got to pet a tiger. Hanzo was fairly certain Talon murdered the tiger’s owner from some news he spotted, but he didn’t elaborate on that part. 

They shared thoughts and memories as well from time to time. And of course the messages would sometimes turn erotic. Though considering they were rarely in even similar parts of the world, the messages often appeared at highly inappropriate times. Somehow this just added to the charm. Except when he had to hide his erection on a bus after a particularly saucy and unexpected message. No one wanted to be the public transit pervert.

Eventually, inevitably, one evening Hanzo got drunk and messaged Gabriel, and had no idea the next morning what he said. Gabriel teased him about it for days, making up quotes of bizarre and perverse things Hanzo supposedly said. Eventually he confessed Hanzo hadn’t really written anything strange, and had mostly just sent cute messages absolutely brimming with typos.

Sometimes, the loneliness would still start to creep in. But it seemed like every time it grew truly miserable, a new message would appear.

 _“So. I got attacked by a goose today and it almost blew the entire mission.”_ Hanzo snorted when he read the message. He had been sitting alone in a rundown hotel room, wondering when he’d see Gabriel again. Wondering when he would be able to stop running. Wondering what he was doing with his life. But it was hard to keep brooding in the face of that message.

_“Are animals just drawn to you or something?”_

_“The tiger was cool. This thing was just mean.”_

_“How did it nearly blow your operation?”_

_“The honking bastard spotted me when I was trying to infiltrate a place. I think it was nesting? Or just being a dick? It would not stop attacking me while Sombra was taking the security system offline. Then Widow tried to shoot it before the noise gave us away and MISSED. I think she was aiming for its head? She’s a crack shot and all but geese have very small heads...Nearly hit me instead.”_

_“Sounds like a highly professional operation.”_

_“Extremely. Honestly I think Sombra was stalling because she was too busy laughing at me getting harassed by the goose,”_ Gabriel wrote. Hanzo chuckled. The more he heard about this Sombra character, the more she sounded like his terrible younger sister. He suspected she and Genji would get along well, aside from their divergent morals. 

_“Well, I’m glad you were not shot. Or maimed by a goose. You always need to be on your guard around those birds. I hear their attitudes can be quite… foul.”_

_“Thank you for that. I am now going to arrange for your assassination now...I know a lady. She can’t quite shoot the head off a goose but she’ll do.”_

Hanzo snickered at the response. Gabriel made his hatred of puns abundantly clear many months ago, which really only encouraged Hanzo to make them whenever possible.

_“You’re just jealous you didn’t think of it first.”_

_“Maybe. Anyway, I hope your day went better than mine.”_

The conversation veered off into slightly more mundane topics, and the loneliness faded away. He still wished Gabriel could actually be there, but when they talked, Hanzo could almost imagine he was there. While they remained as far apart as ever, Hanzo felt distinctly less alone.

Hanzo took small odd jobs along the way as his money started to deplete. He managed to keep most of them on the legal side, until he finally ended up down to his last credit, stranded in some no name port town in the States. The entire town seemed to work at the shipyards, which seemed to legitimately be a sizeable operation. Hanzo was almost surprised it felt so run down and abandoned considering how many sailors must arrive on a regular basis. That was until he discovered the place was damn near lawless. Half the ships coming into port that weren’t full of fish were probably black market.

Needless to say it was simple enough for Hanzo to find work.

He found himself hired as security by part of a self proclaimed vigilante group in town, striving to police the place, and breathe prosperity back into it. Or at least make things a little bit easier for the non-criminals. Usually they were competent enough to run security for themselves, but they had a desperately important, and high risk deal coming up. They didn’t have a sniper of their own, and wanted Hanzo on the roof to shoot anyone who made a wrong move. They had ‘come into possession’ of an entire shipping container full of high grade omnic parts. They’d found a buyer offering a hefty quantity of medical supplies for it. According to the leader of the group, the local hospital was ‘a joke’, and the town could really use anything they could get. Vaccines, antibiotics, nanites, hell, even sterile saline and analgesics would be great.

The problem was, their buyer was Talon. 

“Wait. Did I hear you correctly, you said the meeting was with Talon?” Hanzo asked, cutting the leader off mid sentence.

“Yeah. What’s the matter, archer, scared?” One of the other thugs chimed in. Hanzo leveled an icy glare at him. 

“I am curious how some random street gang became entangled with an organization such as them. I know a few of their members. They have tried to recruit me repeatedly,” Hanzo spat, diligently fighting down hopeful excitement. Talon was a large group. The chances Gabriel was even in the same time zone was remarkably slim. 

The leader, a man by the name of Elias, rocked back on his heels, eyeing Hanzo. He was a small, greasy weasel of a man. Hanzo could barely believe he was their leader, both from his meek appearance and his general shifty demeanor. But he was paying. “So they have some respect for you. Maybe if they know you’re involved they’d be less inclined to. Uh. Try and screw us over?” he suggested, Hanzo shrugged.

“Perhaps. They still seem hopeful that I will join them. My presence may help lend credence to your group.” 

With that, it was decided. Hanzo would be on the ground, instead of on the roof for their initial meeting. Unfortunately that meant he was swept up into the planning, and didn’t have a chance to send a message off to Gabriel asking who would be coming.

Evening came, and Hanzo found himself standing in a dark alleyway behind some abandoned warehouses with a gaggle of jumpy amateur gangsters. Not his preferred way to spend an evening, but they were paying. They stood around, talking in low, nervous whispers before one of the lackeys pointed into the darkness with a strangled yell.

The world seemed to go out of focus, and Hanzo felt like he’d been punched in the gut when he appeared. And he, quite literally, simply appeared, in a familiar swirl of black mist. Cries of alarm went up among the men, it seemed Reaper knew how to make an entrance. It took just about all his willpower to remain impassive. And he was suddenly extremely jealous of the benefits Reaper’s mask afforded him.

He was dressed in black, as was to be expected, and he looked...amazing. Perhaps even better than before. Of course Hanzo was biased, but the outfit seemed to fit better, undoubtedly not as thick as the white. It clung to his defined and powerful figure. He approached the group with a downright seductive swagger, the belt slung low around his hips virtually taunting Hanzo as he walked. Though the approach seemed to be anything but tantalizing to his companions, who grew more anxious by the moment. To be fair, Reaper did seem to radiate danger. He moved with such calm and confidence there was no doubt in anyone’s mind, despite him being surrounded, he was in no danger. They, however, were.

The white mask tilted ever so slightly when he spotted Hanzo. “Shimada Hanzo…” Reaper growled, through to Hanzo’s ears it sounded more like a low purr, sending shivers down his spine. “I didn’t know _you_ were going to be here…” he said casually striding to Hanzo.

The men on either side stumbled over themselves backing away as Reaper came to stand in front of him. Hanzo schooled his face into his best business glare. Being _excited_ to see Reaper was not the appropriate response. 

Gabriel reached out, clawed fingers grasping Hanzo by the chin, forcing him to look up into the mask, the cold metal digging into his skin. Hanzo’s blood burned with excitement at the touch, the cold, hard metal a remarkably tantalizing alternative to his warm touch. And judging by the low rumble reverberating from behind the mask, and the way Gabriel’s clawed thumb trailed down his cheek, Gabriel knew _exactly_ what effect he was having. He focused on trying to look unaffected. The blatant power move wouldn’t look too out of place to his present company; a transparent attempt to flaunt his familiarity and lack of fear. An erection, however, would be another story entirely. Hanzo could barely believe how sexy it was. 

Watching the way Reaper played the group without even sparing them a glance. The palpable fear that radiated from them...Hanzo was torn between wanting to watch him make these low level thugs dance and wanting to drag Gabriel off and have him right there in the streets.

“When I heard they were dealing with your ilk I had to see who would show. I’m surprised you are handling such a lowly matter personally. What, did you get demoted?” Hanzo sneered, his voice clear and defiant, or at least as clear as he could make it. Hopefully any strain was mistaken for fear. Usually Hanzo would wish for any other assumption...but all things considered...

Reaper laughed, low and deadly, tightening his grip on Hanzo’s chin, his claws digging in, not quite hard enough to draw blood, but certainly enough to leave red marks. “Ah, Hanzo, as arrogant as ever,” he growled, giving Hanzo’s face a shove as he finally released his grip. He surveyed the gathered men slowly, methodically, as if he just now bothered to take notice of their presence. 

“So are you the leader of these…” his steady gaze continued to sweep the group, somehow managing to look massively unimpressed despite the mask. “Goons?”

 _Goons? Really?_ Hanzo had to fight desperately hard to suppress his grin. Gabriel seemed to catch the expression, his mask tilting. Well, not every villainous line could be a winner.

“No, these are my men,” the lead goon finally barked, stepping forward, shaking off whatever sort of stunned stupor Reaper put him under. He puffed out his chest and drew himself as tall as his meager frame would allow, though as soon as the hollow eyes of that mask turned on him he seemed to wither.

Reaper eyed him up and down, unimpressed. He folded his arms, glinting claws casually drumming against his bicep, hips cocked. “You have my attention for two minutes.” 

Elias stared, mouth hanging open.

“Clock’s ticking,” Reaper growled. 

Elias hurriedly started in on his proposed deal. Omnic parts for medical supplies. What on earth Talon could possibly want with a shipping container full of Omnic parts was beyond Hanzo, but he could imagine at least a few more uses for it than he could the medical supplies they seemed to have acquired. Such exchanges weren’t uncommon in the black market. Easy to steal shipping containers didn’t always have what you wanted inside.

The negotiation went quickly. If it could be called a negotiation. Mostly Reaper growled or scoffed at the man’s offers until he offered up something he found reasonable. Reaper then issued a series of instructions on precisely where to leave the shipping container, when, and how they would get their medical supplies in return. 

“Well then, a pleasure doing business,” Reaper said, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice as the gang leader agreed to their final terms. Reaper turned his gaze back to Hanzo, again making the men behind him recoil. “And Hanzo. The others would be disappointed if I forgot to remind you. The offer still stands.”

“And my answer remains no,” Hanzo replied quickly, drawing an amused hum from Reaper. With that, he swirled away into a black cloud of smoke, and dissipated into the night. He really did have a flare for the dramatic.

The gang breathed a sigh of relief, while Hanzo’s mind began to race. He was here, he was really here. They weren’t just in the same hemisphere or time zone, they were in the the same shitty, backwater town. He was so caught up trying to puzzle out what to do now, what to do next, that he almost didn’t notice Elias trying to get everyone’s attention. 

Not ten minutes later Hanzo felt the communicator pulse. Unfortunately it was nearly an hour before he was able to get away from the gang and read the message. They seemed determined to map out every nuance of what should be a remarkably easy trade in agonizing detail.

 _We have to meet up,_ the message read simply. And Hanzo felt the exact same way. 

A few hasty messages and an hour of painful waiting later, Hanzo found himself standing in a dark alleyway behind a warehouse, scanning the shadows for movement, waiting. 

“So, you’ll hang out with these criminals but not with my criminals? I’m hurt.” Gabriel said, the mock anguish thick in his voice. Hanzo jumped, spinning around to see Gabriel standing directly behind him, clawed hands placed gingerly over his apparently aching heart. Hanzo smiled.

“They seem to consider themselves to more be freelance vigilantes than criminals. Also they’re paying me for extra security while they deal with your criminals,” Hanzo said. 

“Mm, so probably good recipients for the medical supplies.”

Hanzo nodded. “Is Talon going to hold up its end of the deal?”

Reaper shrugged. “Probably. No reason I know of not to. It’ll get hairy if they don’t hold up theirs, though. But I assume you wouldn’t let them do anything that stupid. Anyway, you should have warned me you’d be at that meeting. I almost broke character,” Gabriel chided as Hanzo drew close. 

“Oh please, it would take more than me to put you off your game. Besides, I did not know of the meeting myself until late this afternoon. I couldn’t find a chance to get away and send a message,” Hanzo said, gazing up into the dark eye holes, searching for the beautiful brown underneath. They stood in silence for a moment, less than an arm’s length away, unable to reach out to each other, unable to speak. Hanzo still couldn’t quite believe he was real, that he was actually there. He half feared if he reached out, Gabriel would disappear.

“God, I almost forgot how beautiful you are…” Gabriel finally said, his voice a breathless whisper. 

Hanzo reached up, his fingers searching for the edges of the mask, trying to find the man underneath. “I can’t believe how much I’ve missed you,” Hanzo whispered back. Gabriel reached up, taloned fingers curling gently around his wrists, guiding Hanzo’s hands. Gabriel’s chest heaved with anticipation as Hanzo found his neck, trailing fingers over his smooth, warm skin, not nearly as stubbly as Hanzo so fondly remembered it.

He hooked his fingers under the bottom of the mask, slowly pushing it upwards. As soon as those plush, soft lips were exposed, Hanzo found himself surging upwards to kiss them. Gabriel pulled him close, clinging desperately, claws digging painfully into Hanzo’s back, sending a bolt of excitement up Hanzo’s spine. He deepened the kiss, Gabriel’s lips parting for him gladly, welcoming, breathing a satisfied sigh. Hanzo threatened a hand up into Gabriel’s hood, fingers finding his hair. It was longer than before, thick and soft.

“I’ve been dreaming of this for months…” Gabriel breathed across Hanzo’s lips when the kiss finally ended, faces still pressed together.

“As have I,” Hanzo murmured. 

“We should—” Gabriel started, before Hanzo cut him off rudely with another brief kiss. “We should go somewhere more private,” Gabriel finally finished, reluctantly pulling away. 

He was right, as much as Hanzo didn’t want to admit it. He glanced around the quiet alley. He could hear the shipyard in the distance, a few warehouses working through the night loading and unloading. They were unlikely to stray this way, but it wasn’t worth the risk. Gabriel nodded at a nearby door.

“They don’t have any security cameras,” he said, a little breathless, his clawed gloves still casually roaming Hanzo’s back. Shivers ran down Hanzo’s spine as they gently raked down the back of his neck. He hastily agreed, and the two broke into the empty warehouse with little effort. 

Hanzo wasted no time pushing Gabriel up against a crate and pulling his mask off for good. He paused once he saw that gorgeous face, his heart lodging in his throat. It was stunning how quickly the madness returned, merely being in his presence, watching his graceful, methodical movements strike fear into those men. But now seeing his dark brown eyes, his strong jaw, Hanzo ran his hand across his cheek, barely able to accept he was real. 

All Hanzo knew was he had never felt like this before. It was more than simple lust. He didn’t honestly know if it was love, he just knew he was a slave to it. He _needed_ him. 

Their lips met again, gentle and languid, warmth blooming in Hanzo’s chest and slowly flooding the rest of his body. As the kiss deepened, it grew in intensity. Gabriel dragged Hanzo tight against himself. There was a desperation in his grip, as if he expected Hanzo to disappear. 

The claws continued to be an unexpected thrill, drawing shivers and gasps from Hanzo as they raked across his back. Gabriel picked up on this almost immediately, eagerly roaming Hanzo’s body, sliding a hand under his shirt, the cold metal drawing an involuntary moan. 

Hanzo’s hands roamed Gabriel’s outfit. He enjoyed feeling his firm muscles through fitted body armor, but he really wanted to run his hands along his skin. Gabriel’s outfit, however, remained impossibly complicated. Finally Hanzo resorted to unbuckling the multiple belts. Gabriel chuckled as the heaviest outer belt dropped to the floor, no doubt well aware of the trouble Hanzo was having. 

Finally Hanzo was able to slip his hands under Gabriel’s clothes, his skin smooth and warm and perfect. Hanzo’s hands roamed up his muscular back, then slipped down, trailing around his waistband, feeling the shapely rise of his ass and— was he not wearing underwear? Hanzo’s fingers explored a little more inquisitively. No. No he was not. Gabriel chuckled low and rumbling against Hanzo’s lips as Hanzo confirmed his discovery.

“Eager, are we?” Hanzo purred, grinding his groin against Gabriel’s tented pants. “That can’t be comfortable…” he teased.

“Yeah, the zipper’s pretty rough, I’m regretting my decision a little,” Gabriel breathed, choking down a laugh. 

Hanzo smiled against Gabriel’s lips, his hands skirting along his waistband until he reached the front. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to help you with that,” he said as he slowly, methodically began unzipping his pants. Gabriel practically whimpered, his body rolling against Hanzo’s. There it was again, that desperate want that set Hanzo’s blood ablaze. 

Hanzo finally pulled his cock free. It was as thick and beautiful as he remembered. He gave it a few languid, teasing strokes. Gabriel moaned as Hanzo gently pushed his foreskin back, revealing the needy, throbbing purple head. He licked his lips. It wasn’t warm outside, but it wasn’t Antarctica anymore. 

Hanzo dropped to his knees, Gabriel’s cock still in his hand, he glanced up with a wicked grin, checking for permission. He was rewarded with the most delectable, half lidded expression of lust he could imagine. He ran his tongue along the slit before popping the head of Gabriel’s cock into his mouth, drawing a stuttered gasp from the man. Gabriel dug a clawed glove through his hair, breathing Hanzo’s name. 

Gabriel tasted and smelled clean, freshly washed even. He must have showered right before he came. It was considerate of him, but Hanzo almost wished he could smell more of his musk. He slowly, took more of Gabriel’s length into his mouth, despite the hand on his head urging him forward. He smiled as the faint taste of salt dribbled across the back of his tongue from Gabriel’s pre cum. At least he got to taste some of him. 

Hanzo worked his way down Gabriel’s cock, head bobbing, taking a little more every time. He grasped Gabriel’s hips, trying to keep them steady as he started gently thrusting into Hanzo’s mouth. As it was they still twitched with need occasionally, as Gabriel dug desperately into Hanzo’s hair. 

As Hanzo worked his way, tongue teasing the head of Gabriel’s cock, dragging along his shaft, Gabriel’s breathing grew ragged. Finally he grasped Hanzo’s hair, roughly pulling him away. 

“Wait. Wait...not yet. Fuck,” Gabriel gasped as Hanzo grinned up at him, savoring the uncontrolled look of desire on Gabriel’s face. “I want you...I want you inside of me,” Gabriel gasped. 

The declaration made Hanzo’s cock throb. As if he hadn’t soaked the front of his underwear already. Though there was a problem. “I didn’t bring anything--” Hanzo started, before Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of lube. Hanzo laughed. “You _are_ prepared.”

“I said I’d been dreaming about this for _months_ ,” Gabriel said, his eyes glinting wickedly, though with a bit of a self deprecating smirk, bemused at his own unquenchable thirst. 

Hanzo’s grin spread as he rose to his feet, snatching the bottle from Gabriel’s hand. He grabbed the front of Gabriel’s coat, dragging him down into a fierce kiss, before pulling away and roughly spinning him around. The manhandling earned him a lustful, throaty noise from Gabriel. Hanzo tugged Gabriel’s pants down over his round, meaty ass, shoving the coat aside. He slicked up his fingers with the lube before beginning to trail them along Gabriel’s crack, rewarding him with another moan as Gabriel spread his legs further apart, leaning against a nearby crate, hips canted out, thrusting his needy ass at Hanzo.

“Well, far be it from me to deny you what you want,” Hanzo purred as his middle finger teased Gabriel’s opening. 

“God yes, do it,” Gabriel hissed, pushing back onto Hanzo’s finger, only to have Hanzo pull away, keeping his teasing light and gentle. Hanzo kept it up for a while, dodging out of the way when Gabriel reached back to grab him, urging him on. “You are the wors— ohgod-” Gabriel gasped as Hanzo’s middle finger finally pushed inside without warning. He was surprisingly tight, Hanzo noted, as he enjoyed the warmth, and the gentle pressure of his hole around his finger. 

Hanzo hummed, working Gabriel with his middle finger for a while before he withdrew it slowly. He slicked up his fingers with more lube before pushing in again, sliding a second along with the first. Gabriel let out a throaty moan, staring to relax into Hanzo’s gentle probing, pushing back onto Hanzo’s fingers. Hanzo smiled, grabbing a handful of Gabriel’s perfect, firm asscheek with his free hand.

“You are so tight,” Hanzo murmured, his cock throbbing with anticipation. He felt so good around Hanzo’s fingers. Still he scissored and tried to tease and gently stretch Gabriel's hole as best he could. 

“It— it’s been a while,” Gabriel gasped as Hanzo pushed his fingers further inside, searching for his prostate, which if the way Gabriel reacted was any indication, he found almost immediately.

“That’s hard to imagine. With someone as gorgeous as you…” Hanzo purred. Gabriel snorted.

“Who am I supposed to fuck, Doomfist?” he hissed. Hanzo chuckled.

“Oh, so I’m just your desperation fuck?” Hanzo asked innocently, continuing to work his fingers in and out methodically, reaching deep enough to brush against his sweet spot, but not enough to satisfy, causing Gabriel to start to squirm, wanting more.

“Of course not—But I swear I’m going to fucking kill you if you don’t stop being a tease,” Gabriel said through a low groan, sounding anything but threatening.

“You love it,” Hanzo taunted. He took the pathetic needy noise Gabriel made in response as a concession. “Besides, what happened to all your waxing poetic?”

“I can only manage that when I _don’t_ have your fingers in my a-ahh!—” Gabriel gasped as Hanzo pushed his fingers in deep again, giving him what he wanted.

Satisfied that Gabriel was ready, and that Hanzo spent enough time simply tormenting him, he finally withdrew his fingers. He opened his own pants, slicking his throbbing cock with the cold lubricant as Gabriel peered over his shoulder, watching him with hungry eyes, elbows still leaning on the crate in front of him. 

“It’s about time,” Gabriel said breathlessly as Hanzo lined himself up, grasping Gabriel’s hip with one hand, his cock in the other. He slid it between the man’s cheeks, running it up and down, teasing his hole once again without pushing in. This earned him more greedy profanity. Gabriel was so vocal, Hanzo loved it. 

Finally Hanzo slowly pushed in, the head of his cock stretching Gabriel’s impossibly tight hole before it popped inside. Gabriel swore, his entire body going rigid. He lowered his head, biting his arm to stifle himself, as Hanzo held still, letting him grow accustomed to the intrusion. 

“Just relax,” Hanzo said, running his hand along Gabriel’s lower back as his hole continued to twitch around the sensitive head of Hanzo’s cock. 

“This isn’t my first rodeo you know,” Gabriel hissed back. “So good…” he groaned. 

After a few more moments Gabriel began to move, slowly pushing back onto Hanzo’s cock, impaling himself on it. Hanzo sucked in a breath, letting Gabriel slide down the length of his shaft, watching as his pale cock disappears in Gabriel’s needy hole. It felt incredible, the tight clench around his shaft, and the intense warm inside, slowly enveloping him. 

After what felt like an eternity, Gabriel finally bottomed out. He was panting raggedly, a faint sheen of sweat on his face, one of his clawed hands digging into the crate so hard the wood splintered. “ _Move_ ,” Gabriel ordered, beginning to rock his hips against Hanzo’s cock. Hanzo smiled, broken out of his trance. 

He started slow, gentle, letting Gabriel grow fully accustomed to his girth. But before long Gabriel was pushing back into him, an urgent almost desperation to his movements. Hanzo placed both hands on Gabriel’s hips, pulling out nearly all the way before thrusting roughly to the hilt, drawing a cry from Gabriel. He thrust again, and again, picking up the pace, earning him a gasped mantra of _yes_ speckled with profanity. 

One of Gabriel’s still gloved hands reached down, carefully grasping his member as he urged Hanzo on, stroking himself. Hanzo’s thrusts started to grow erratic as he felt Gabriel’s hole twitch and tighten around his cock. He was so damn _tight_. Finally, Gabriel cried out, biting down on his forearm again, squeezing Hanzo’s cock as he came with bone shattering intensity, shooting thick ropes of cum on the side of the crate. Hanzo pounded him through it, only making his cries of pleasure intensify until Hanzo reached his limit. With one final thrust he came. He doubled over Gabriel with a groan, leaning his head on Gabriel’s back as he emptied himself deep inside. Gabriel practically purred as he felt Hanzo’s hot cum splashing against his inner walls. He reached a hand back, grasping at Hanzo’s thigh, holding him close as best he could.

They stood there for a time, panting, Gabriel flopped half across the crate, with Hanzo collapsed over his back, cock still buried inside. 

“Incredible,” Hanzo breathed once he finally caught his breath. He slowly slid out of Gabriel, earning another lustful groan as went.

“Better than I could have ever imagined,” Gabriel purred, reluctantly hiking up his pants before he turned to face Hanzo. He finally pulled off one of his gloves, reaching out to cup Hanzo’s cheek. “I don’t want to be without you again, like that, for so long. Those months were torture. I can’t imagine…” 

Hanzo nuzzled into Gabriel’s hand, putting his own hand over it, lacing their fingers together. “I do not wish to be without you either.”

“Are you sure you won’t join me? In Talon?” Gabriel asked, though Hanzo could tell from his voice he did not expect Hanzo to waver.

“I cannot. What about you, you don’t seem to have any fondness for the organization, why don’t you leave?” Hanzo asked.

Gabriel shook his head. “I have unfinished business. I can’t leave yet…”

“Then what do we do?”

Gabriel sighed, leaning his forehead against Hanzo’s. It seemed he didn’t have an answer. Neither did. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain, sliding an arm around Gabriel’s waist. It felt like Antarctica all over again. Once the sun came up they would have to part ways, and who knew when they’d manage to cross paths. 

“I’ll think of something, I swear it. I’ll think of something…” Gabriel whispered, pressing his lips into Hanzo’s hair, gathering him close. Hanzo nodded, nuzzling into the nape of Gabriel’s neck. He believed him. His better reason told him not to, but he believed him, he wanted to believe.

The two spent their remaining few, precious hours together in the empty warehouse, sitting on the stacks of crates, arms tangled around each other, leaning close. It reminded Hanzo of their time together in Antarctica. Sitting uncomfortably on a hard surface, but together. He wished he could take Gabriel back to his room like a normal person, fall asleep beside him in an actual bed, and wake up to complimentary burnt coffee and stale muffins, and stroll down the beach. But they couldn’t be seen together. And Gabriel couldn’t be seen generally. Neither of them was in a position to have a normal life. At least not for now.

The sky started to turn gray all too soon, and it was time to depart. They shared another blissful, deep kiss, lingering a bit too long, until they actually heard the warehouse’s front cargo doors opening. They hastily disappeared into the predawn shadows before they could be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Chapter 4 had to be split, because it is/was way too long. Took me a while to decide where to cut it. Chapter 5 will most likely not be quite as long, and now that I've said that it will turn out to be a lie but...we'll see!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Hanzo bathed in the euphoria of his time with Gabriel for as long as he could. At least this time their departure wasn’t quite as painful. They promised to see each other again that very night, once their business concluded. 

After an extremely restless morning trying to sleep, and an even more restless afternoon, trying not to obsessively take out his communicator and embarrassingly ramble at Gabriel about how much he missed him, how much he wanted to see him _right now,_ the time for the trade finally came.

Hanzo was actually stuck in sniper duty this time. He sat hidden away on a rooftop, watching the Talon agents as they unloaded their cargo.

Gabriel lingered down on the ground with his men, not helping, but perhaps supervising. His presence an implied threat to Elias and his gang. Though Hanzo could tell he was off his game. His swagger wasn’t as fluid as usual. He seemed tense and impatient. It put everyone around him on edge, but brought a smile to Hanzo’s face. He wanted everything to go smoothly, of course, but knowing Gabriel felt just as miserable and impatient as Hanzo was reassuring in a strange way. 

The incessant rain probably added to Gabriel’s disquiet. It certainly added to Hanzo’s. The rain long since found its way through his waterproof layers, leaving him sodden and cold. He had to make a point to move about when he could, lest his muscles completely freeze up. Not that he suspected he would need to act. 

Suddenly the cold of Antarctica almost sounded appealing. At least Antarctica was a dry cold, even if it carried a much more immediate risk of frostbite.

He could just imagine drying off and curling up in a nice cozy bed with Gabriel. Wrapped in soft, warm blankets, tangled in each other’s arms, Gabriel running his fingers through Hanzo’s hair, while he brushed his thumb along Gabriel’s jaw.

Hanzo shook himself out of the fantasy, realizing he’d stopped watching the exchange. Whoops. From the looks of it, Gabriel was paying about as much attention as Hanzo was, leaning against a shipping container, one clawed hand absentmindedly raised to his mask...actually about where Hanzo imagined stroking his face.

Hanzo smirked at the coincidence. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the gang finished the transfer, and everyone went their separate ways. Gabriel vanished almost immediately. Hanzo hadn’t even made his way off the roof when the communication device pulsed in his pocket. He stole a glance at it as soon as he hit the ground, surprised to see an address and a room number, followed by check-in instructions. He quickly jotted the information down, biting back a smile.

He about jumped out of his skin as Elias appeared, the heavy rain must have covered his footsteps. Hanzo scolded himself for being so distracted that he let someone sneak up on him without even trying.

“I guess we didn’t need you after all. But thanks,” he muttered, holding out a credit stick. The rest of Hanzo’s payment. Elias seemed eager to have him out of his hair. Good. Hanzo felt the same way. 

“I’m sure my presence lent credence to your operation,” Hanzo said, snatching his payment. 

Elias grunted in agreement, his eyes drifting to where Hanzo quickly tucked away the communicator, but lucky for him he knew better than to push it. “Maybe. Well, thanks if it did. See you around, or not...preferably not. No offense, but you people are way out of my comfort zone,” he grumbled, turning and heading back to his men. Hanzo bit back a smirk, even if he did mean offense, Hanzo wouldn’t blame him in the slightest.

It took a substantial amount of self control to not just take off running to his hotel room. But he did arrange transport on his way there, and his steps were perhaps a little faster than was necessary.

Soon he found himself at a pleasant resort hotel, perched on top of a cliff, nestled among trees, overlooking the ocean. A far cry from the slightly-better-than-a-rat-hole hotel Hanzo had been staying in. He approached the front desk, as per the instructions, and checked in under the false name Gabriel provided.

“Ah, welcome Mr. Okada!” The receptionist said brightly. While Hanzo expected to be greeted with the standard, fake, plastered on customer service smile, her grin actually reached her eyes. “I have your key right here, for the honeymoon suite…” she reached under the desk, and to Hanzo’s surprise, pulled out an actual key, as opposed to a key card. He took it, turning it in his hand a few times. It wasn’t just a key, it was a skeleton key, with a heart shape in the handle. Fitting for the honeymoon suite, though he noticed the key was, in fact, still electronic, just with the chip nestled neatly in the teeth. Clever.

“Enjoy your stay! Don’t forget to check the bedside table,” she said with a mischievous grin and a wink. Hanzo thanked her, a little perplexed, but headed upstairs nonetheless. Her behavior was strange, but it didn’t set off any alarm bells. She probably just thought he was a lovestruck honeymooner. 

The elevator couldn’t reach the top floor fast enough, and Hanzo eagerly thrust the key into the lock, which clicked open before he could attempt to turn it. 

Gabriel stood in the center of the room, back to the door, dressed in a leather jacket and fitted jeans that hugged his round backside and thick thighs. Hanzo immediately wanted to just slide his hands into those back pockets and give that perfect ass a squeeze. Distantly his mind wondered if he wasn’t wearing anything under those tight pants again. Hanzo swallowed. 

He was so distracted by Gabriel in his civilian wear that it took him a second to notice Gabriel seemed...puzzled. And in fact there was something off about the room. More than a few things. The sweet scent of vanilla tinged with warm floral aromas drifted into Hanzo’s nose. And as he looked around it seemed as if a few dozen roses had perhaps been detonated in the center of the room. Red petals lay sprawled across the pink, satin covered bed, the dresser, and all over the large, luxurious looking jacuzzi perched before a large, picture window. Scented candles flickered on nearly every surface, filling the room with a dancing, warm glow. 

“I...I didn’t order this…” Gabriel said hesitantly, finally acknowledging Hanzo, still gawking at the excessive display of romance dripping from every inch of the place. He almost looked spooked. Hanzo chuckled as he closed the door. 

“This did not seem like you style. Perhaps the hotel made a mistake?”

“An expensive mistake. The ‘romance package’ wasn’t cheap…These candles couldn’t have been lit more than fifteen minutes ago. How did they time it…” he asked, the reason for his unease suddenly becoming apparent. 

Before Hanzo could think of any possible reason or way, he heard the distinct buzz of Gabriel’s phone. The man hesitantly pulled it from an inner jacket pocket, his face falling. 

“Sombra…” he grumbled before he answered, putting it on speaker.

 _“Hey Gabe! How do you like the room? It sounded a little tacky, but who couldn’t do with a little sappy stuff once in a while?”_ The woman’s voice crooned. Hanzo and Gabriel exchanged uneasy glances.

“What do you want?” Gabriel asked flatly, less a question than a statement. 

_“I just want you to have a good time with your boyfriend!”_

“Yeah, right, I know how this works. Just tell me what you want,” Gabriel snapped. 

Sombra sighed, long and dramatic. _“You blackmail a few people and suddenly no one will take a gift anymore! Seriously though. You have been way less of an insufferable asshole to work with since you started your little romance, I’m happy for you! I got your back.”_

Gabriel blinked at the phone. “Seriously?”

_“Seriously. I have an excuse for you already worked up if some nosey spider or fist starts sniffing around. Though the mad scientist is your problem to deal with. Sorry.”_

Gabriel still didn’t look convinced, but his surprise was starting to win out over his trepidation. “I...don’t know what to say.”

 _“I do have one_ tiny _favor I need you to do for me in exchange though.”_

There it was. Gabriel seemed to relax immensely, ironically. Hanzo also felt relief knowing the potential blackmail was coming, it was somehow less ominous. “What is it…” he asked.

 _“Pinch Hanzo’s ass for me”_ Sombra laughed, and hung up. Hanzo and Gabriel stood in stunned silence, staring at his phone.

“Do you think she’ll do anything?” Hanzo asked hesitantly. Gabriel shook his head, looking perplexed.

“I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised if she came up with something down the road. But for now...did she ever contact you?” Gabriel asked, Hanzo shook his head. “I mean, maybe she’s sincere. Sort of. I wonder how she found…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I guess it doesn’t really matter now.”

Hanzo’s eyes swept the room again, taking in all the decor. It was quite sweet once the overwhelming shock of the corniness wore off. “I guess it was nice of her to buy...this?”

“I sincerely doubt she bought anything.”

“True. But it is the thought that counts?” Hanzo offered, drawing closer to Gabriel with a smirk. He was right about one thing at least, Sombra knew, and there was nothing they could do about it now. In a way it was a relief that the cat was out of the bag. Their advanced levels of security were due to Sombra, and now that she knew they didn’t have to be nearly as careful. 

Hanzo slid his arms around Gabriel’s waist. He remained tense, but still relaxed a little into Hanzo’s touch. Hanzo had to bite back a smile. It was a rare occurrence indeed that _he_ was the more relaxed party in a situation such as this. But he knew all too well how awful Gabriel likely felt, and pulled him closer, determined to make him feel better. 

“There is nothing to be done about it now. I’ve been frozen all day. Why don’t we put that jacuzzi to good use?” Hanzo suggested. Gabriel grunted in approval, turning in Hanzo’s arms. He smiled down at him, stealing a kiss before nodding.

“Sounds good,” Gabriel said, looking Hanzo over, a strange smirk twisting its way onto his lips. Hanzo raised a brow.

“What?”

“I just realized. I’ve seen your dick twice. But I’ve never seen you naked.”

Gabriel laughed as Hanzo’s mouth fell open, searching for a response. Well, he wasn’t wrong. It was a strange thing to consider. Ordinarily by this point in any relationship Hanzo would have seen his lover naked many times over, even if it had been long distance. He of course knew precisely how it happened, but it was bizarre to have his attention called to it. He finally chuckled, shaking his head.

“Well, I suppose it’s past time for us to remedy that,” he said, sliding his hands under Gabriel’s shirt, grateful he was in normal clothes, and that he wouldn’t have to try and find his way around that incomprehensible combination body armor and costume he usually wore. 

Their lips came together as Gabriel shuffled his jacket off, letting it drop carelessly to the floor. Hanzo slowly worked Gabriel’s shirt up, finally breaking the kiss to pull it over his head, revealing his perfect, sculpted chest. Hanzo ran his hands from his firm, plump pectorals down, trailing his fingers along his stomach. He expected Gabriel to be marred with scars, it seemed either Overwatch had a remarkable medical team, or the nanites did their work erasing all of his past battles. Hanzo almost wished those markings were there, but the work of art standing before him was still more than he could have dreamed. 

Hanzo pressed his lips to Gabriel’s exposed shoulder, as he began working Hanzo’s shirt off. Slowly, methodically, they peeled off one garment at a time, each taking turns kissing and tasting their way across the other’s exposed skin, until there was nothing left to remove. 

Gabriel gently pushed Hanzo away as he kicked off his boxers, holding him at arm’s length. He shamelessly gave Hanzo a once over, eyes trailing from head to toe, a broad smirk growing on his lips.

“ _Goddamn_ you are a picture,” he purred. 

Hanzo smiled back at him. “You are perfection,” Hanzo said, licking his lips. While he’d already had the honor of seeing that exquisite ass, he hadn’t yet gotten to fully appreciate his toned, chiseled abs, his broad chest, those strong shoulders...his thick, muscular, perfectly sculpted thighs...he had a hard time tearing his gaze off of Gabriel’s amazing body to look him in the eye. Though from his smile Hanzo suspected he didn’t mind his wandering gaze in the slightest. 

Gabriel pulled Hanzo close, wrapping his arms around him, kissing him, their naked bodies pressed together. It was heaven to finally have nothing separating them. No body armor, no Antarctic layers, no painful distance. After a long, sublime embrace, Hanzo forced himself to stop exploring Gabriel’s naked body and pulled away. He snagged the man’s wrist and started guiding him to the tub. It was hot and waiting for them, complete with several rose petals drifting lazily across the surface.

“Is that champagne?” Gabriel asked as he stepped in the warm water, his eyes drawn to a silver bucket of ice perched next to the tub containing a bottle, a pair of delicately fluted glasses standing proudly nearby. Hanzo pulled the bottle from its ice, looking it over. It was, in fact, champagne. Pricey champagne.

“How expensive _was_ this…‘romance package’,” Hanzo asked with surprise.

Gabriel snatched the bottle from Hanzo with a crooked smile. “A lot,” he said, eagerly tearing the foil off. Hanzo made himself comfortable as he watched Gabriel fumbling with the cage. “Really I just picked this room for the hot tub; the honeymoon suit part was incidental.” He finally got down to the cork, aimed the bottle away, and started clumsily wiggling the cork out with his thumbs. It seemed proper champagne etiquette was not one of the many skills he acquired in Overwatch.

“Careful, it’s going to-” Hanzo started to warn, before the cork gave with a tremendous pop, flying half way across the room, followed by a frothy white torrent of bubbles which cascaded straight into the tub. Gabriel squawked, trying uselessly to catch some of the mess, before he just sighed and shrugged. 

“It got excited,” he offered blithely, picking up one of the glasses and filling it before handing it to Hanzo. 

Hanzo thanked him, taking a sip—it was excellent champagne—as Gabriel filled his own glass, finally reclining next to Hanzo, draping an arm over his shoulders. 

“I tried to warn you,” Hanzo teased. Gabriel shrugged.

“Foreshadowing.”

Hanzo snorted, nearly expelling his mouthful of bubbling alcohol through his nose, which was uniquely painful. Gabriel laughed, patting him gently as Hanzo coughed and reeled.

Once he could finally breathe again without too much pain, Hanzo slid his arm around his waist.

“Feeling better about...?” Hanzo asked, hesitant to broach the topic of Sombra again, but Gabriel had been so worried. He shrugged.

“Yeah. You’re right, there’s nothing we can do about it now. And I don’t think she’d do anything too terrible...She tends to save her worst extortion for people she actually hates. I don’t _think_ she hates me?”

Hanzo grunted in agreement. “Yes, I do not know her as you do, but the times I’ve heard her speak she reminded me more of...a bothersome younger sibling?”

Gabriel nodded with a chuckle. “That’s one way of describing her,” he said, before his eyes went wide. “Oh, speaking of younger siblings,” he glanced at Hanzo, who tried not to flinch too much at the reminder. “Are you going to tell Genji…? God. I just realized his big brother and former boss fucking is probably like. One of his nightmares,” Gabriel laughed, seeming to take immense joy in how horrifying this situation would be to Genji. Even Hanzo had to smile a little. The thought _had_ occurred to him.

“I had not specifically planned on informing him. No. Though he does seem to be trying to, uh, ‘mend’ our relationship. And regularly asks after my personal life,” Hanzo sighed. Despite Genji’s efforts to reach out, Hanzo had a difficult time talking to him, much less seeing him. He felt ashamed, and cowardly, still being unable to face his brother, but those wounds just ran too deep. He had supposed giving in to Genji’s inquiries about his life would be a starting place. But there wasn’t much to talk about besides his love life, and considering who he was seeing...

“Well, I wouldn’t blame you if you told him. But you better be filming his response when you do. I’m sure the look on his face will be _priceless_.”

“You do not mind Genji knowing? I mean...that you’re alive?”

“Nah, the kid knows how to be discreet. But it’s up to whatever you’re comfortable with. I just don’t want you to worry about keeping it quiet on my behalf. I know it’s important for you two to uh. Patch things up? Secrets aren’t usually great for that.” 

Hanzo nodded slowly, taking another sip of champagne. It was really quite good when it was swallowed instead of forced into his sinuses. Genji finding out seemed inevitable, and it was good to know he had Gabriel’s blessing to tell him. Not that Hanzo intended to any time soon. Eventually, perhaps. But he wasn’t quite ready for that yet.

Gabriel rapped a knuckle against Hanzo’s submerged prosthetic, changing the subject. “I’m surprised you can wear those in here.”

Hanzo nodded. “I’ll have take them off to let the connections dry later, but they are quite waterproof. I can shower with them without issue.”

“That’s good…” Gabriel said, watching him closely, apparently now it was his turn to be the concerned party. 

Hanzo slid up tighter against him, pressing their thighs together, and nuzzled close. Gabriel smiled, leaning into the touch. He sipped his champagne as silence fell over the pair, eyes drifting to the ceiling before slowly wandering back to Hanzo.

“I’ve never met someone I would rather sit around and do absolutely nothing with more than you,” Gabriel murmured, Hanzo grunted in agreement.

They sat in the tub a long while, sipping champagne, fiddling with the floating rose petals, hands and lips occasionally straying to one another’s bodies. Gabriel’s fingers wound their way through Hanzo’s hair, gently freeing it from the tie. He combed his fingers absentmindedly through the silky strands with a contented sigh.

After a time, remaining in the water grew a little too hot for Hanzo’s comfort. He rose to sit on the ledge, next to the broad tiled sill of the picture window. Gabriel grinned up at him, practically devouring Hanzo with his eyes as beads of water slowly rolled down his body. The look was enough to bring Hanzo’s cock to attention. Despite all their idle pawing in the tub, it was so warm and relaxing, he hadn’t been overly aroused. But that glint in his eyes…

Gabriel slid through the water, settling himself in front of Hanzo. He placed his hands on his knees, slowly easing them apart, Hanzo’s cock twitching in response. Gabriel’s smile widened, his gaze flicking from Hanzo’s slowly swelling cock to his face.

“You look good enough to eat…and I’ve been itching for a taste,” Gabriel purred, pushing his lips against Hanzo’s inner thigh. He sucked in a breath, his back arching involuntarily. Gabriel hummed, kissing and nipping his way up to the base of his now very hard cock. He rubbed his cheek against it, burying his face against Hanzo, inhaling deeply. 

Gabriel looked up at Hanzo, still practically nuzzling against his cock, that devilish glint in his eyes. “Do you want me to suck your dick?” Gabriel asked, knowing _perfectly well_ what the answer was as Hanzo tried to keep himself from just thrusting straight into Gabriel’s mouth. 

Hanzo let slip a few choice words it didn’t take someone fluent in Japanese to understand, before managing, “yes, do it.” A low, wicked chuckle rumbled from Gabriel’s chest as he slid his lips over the head of Hanzo’s cock.

Hanzo sucked in a breath as Gabriel’s warm, velvety lips enveloped him. He bobbed his head slowly up and down Hanzo’s length as Hanzo finally found the frame of mind to dig his fingers through Gabriel’s hair. 

Just as he got a good rhythm going, Gabriel hooked his arms behind Hanzo’s knees and pulled him closer to the edge of the tub. He lifted Hanzo’s legs, forcing him to tilt back, his damp shoulders leaning against the cold window. He hooked a leg over Gabriel’s back, playfully trying to push him back down on his dick. Gabriel obliged, taking Hanzo’s cock so deep into his mouth he felt the head gently slide down Gabriel’s throat, drawing a quiet moan from Hanzo. 

Gabriel’s exploring hand slid up his thigh until his thumb came to rest on his taint, gently messaging, as his fingers started finding their way lower, sliding along Hanzo’s crack. He drew another embarrassing sound from Hanzo as his plan suddenly became clear, his fingers gently teasing Hanzo’s hole.

Gabriel sucked on his finger, getting it slick before he returned to his work, his middle finger gingerly breeching Hanzo’s rim. Hanzo groaned, relaxing into it as Gabriel’s warm lips returned to his cock, and his determined finger slowly, gently worked its way deeper inside until it found his sweet spot.

He picked up a new rhythm, probing Hanzo’s prostate in time with his lips bobbing up and down his shaft, tongue lazily dragging across the sensitive head of his cock, sending surges of electricity through his body. Hanzo dug a prosthetic foot into Gabriel’s back and wound his fingers through his hair, egging him on, pushing his cock down his throat, while his other hand desperately tried to find purchase on _something_ other than bracing against slick tile. 

After a time, it was all Hanzo could do to keep himself together. He tried limply to push Gabriel’s head away. “Wait, I’m going to— fuck, Gabe—” he gasped as the warning just made Gabriel’s ministrations more determined.

Despite his best efforts to hold it off, Hanzo’s orgasm came in a wave. His body tensed and his cock throbbed, pleasure shooting through his spine as he spurted cum into Gabriel’s mouth. His back arched, shoulders pushed against the window as his heel dug into Gabriel’s ribs. Gabriel purred, eagerly swallowing it down, licking every salty drop from Hanzo’s sensitive member as he came down.

Gabriel finally slowly drew away, his mouth releasing Hanzo’s cock with a quiet pop, making Hanzo jerk as he lips left his sensitive head. “Mm, you taste as good as I’d hoped,” Gabriel murmured.

“ _Fuck,_ Gabriel…” Hanzo hissed, he wanted to scold him for making him cum so soon, but simply couldn’t bring himself to as he bathed in the afterglow. Gabriel smiled up at him, and began to press gentle kisses against his stomach. He knew what he did.

After a few lingering minutes of Hanzo catching his breath, and Gabriel pressing languid kisses against any bit of flesh he could reach, they decided it was time to dry off. 

Gabriel wandered to the bathroom and tossed Hanzo a towel before shutting himself away inside. Hanzo took his time drying off. After he toweled down he sat on the bed and uncoupled his prosthesis as he waited, carefully drying out the sockets. Eventually Gabriel re-emerged, and began wandering through the room. Hanzo raised a brow, he seemed to be looking for something. 

“They said the romance package came with some...extras…” Gabriel said, his still present erection bobbing distractingly as he inspected the room. 

“More than...all of this?” Hanzo asked.

“Yeah. Some specific treats,” Gabriel said with a smirk. 

Hanzo furrowed his brow. What could that possibly mean? Then he remembered. “Ah, I believe the receptionist said something about checking the bed table?”

Gabriel strode to the bed, jostling Hanzo as he plopped heavily on the mattress. He eagerly pulled open the nightstand. “Jackpot!”

Hanzo turned as Gabriel dug through the drawer revealing a broad assortment of prophylactics, a bottle of massage oil, an assortment of lubricants, and a gaggle of sex toys, ranging from a buttplug to a blindfold. He fished out a pair of pink, fuzzy handcuffs, dangling them from one finger, which he pointed accusatory at Hanzo, grinning. “These seem like something you’d be interested in.”

Hanzo smirked, trying not to go red in the face. More than a few of his proclivities came across in their various message exchanges, not that Gabriel couldn’t have also guessed after their brief encounter in Antarctica. 

“I’m almost surprised they don’t have anything more than handcuffs considering the rest of the assortment…Like rope or something.”

“I’m sure the first time some hapless person had to call the front desk because they couldn’t untie their partner was also the last time.”

Hanzo wheeze at the notion, snatching the handcuffs off Gabriel’s finger as he kept wagging them at him. “From the way you flail these around I suspect you are the one who is interested.”

“Sure I am, Mr. ‘Why Didn’t This Hotel Provide Me Fifty Meters Of Silk Rope’ Shimada.”

“Fifty meters sounds excessive…”

“You would know,” Gabriel teased. Hanzo smirked, giving him a playful shove back onto the bed, crawling on top of him.

“You know now, this behavior is only going to make me _more_ likely to handcuff you to the bed.”

“Oh no, I never would have imagined!” Gabriel gasped in the least sincere voice he could muster. Hanzo smirked, clasping one of the cuffs around Gabriel’s wrist with a satisfying series of clicks. They weren’t real handcuffs, just novelty playthings, but they would get the job done.

Gabriel grinned up at him, a delightful wicked glint in his eye. “The safe word is ‘potato’,” he said. Hanzo snickered.

“Or you could just tell me to take them off…”

“Nah, a safe word sounds like more fun...or I could also just mist out of them,”

“...True.”

“So. What are you gonna do, hot stuff?” Gabriel teased, obviously still trying to provoke Hanzo. And it worked. He shuffled him up the bed. The headboard was an artistic, antique inspired affair, with fine chrome piping forming an intricate design featuring a heart in the middle, which was just perfectly spaced to thread the cuffs behind, before locking in Gabriel’s other hand. It was a shame that was all he had to work with, but it was still a lovely sight. And Gabriel seemed far more into it than he was prepared to admit.

Hanzo ran his hand down Gabriel’s chest, trailing to his navel, and then back up his side, feeling the exposed, toned muscles along his ribs. It was a remarkable sight, that perfectly sculpted abdomen, stretched out, vulnerable and exposed for him. Gabriel squirmed under his touch, another one of Hanzo’s favorite sights.

“I swear if you tickle me I will turn to mist and go straight out that door. I don’t care if I have to run through the lobby stark naked,” Gabriel warned, Hanzo chuckled, dipping down to kiss his neck, drawing a satisfied purr from him.

“I promise I will not.”

Hanzo sat straddling him. He moved to lean back on his heels only to be starkly reminded, as he nearly tipped off balance, that he didn’t have his legs. He’d been so distracted by Gabriel he’d nearly forgotten. Usually whenever he took his prosthesis off he was in such a state of anxiety, waiting to put them on, such a mistake would be impossible. He glanced to where they stood next to the bed, slowly air drying. Gabriel caught his gaze.

“I don’t mind if you leave them off,” he said, as if that was the source of Hanzo’s trepidation. He jangled the cuffs against the headboard. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Hanzo’s cock stirred, looking down at Gabriel, despite having given such a recent performance. Really, the prosthesis should stay off, they needed to be perfectly dry before he reattached them. He leaned down and gave Gabriel a long kiss, the other man eagerly surging into it, nibbling at Hanzo’s lips. Maybe he would leave them off, it was a strangely exciting, liberating notion. It was thrilling to have Gabriel at his mercy when Hanzo himself didn’t even feel like he was at full capacity.

He turned his attention to the nightstand where Gabriel piled the assortment of sex toys. He plucked the bottle of massage oil from the pile

The oil smelled good enough to eat, and in fact the bottle stated it was. He slowly started spreading the oil across Gabriel’s perfect chest. After a few distracted moments rubbing his hands across Gabriel’s slick pecs, he had an idea. He grabbed the blindfold, a black, silky eye mask with an elastic band. Gabriel raised a curious brow when Hanzo picked it up, he didn’t seem quite as enthusiastic as he was about the handcuffs, but didn’t object. And Hanzo had a plan.

With the mask settled in place over his eyes, Hanzo slid his hands across Gabriel’s cheeks, down his neck, sliding back to his shoulders. “You look amazing,” he purred, making Gabriel’s concerned lips curl into a smirk. 

“Doesn’t seem fair, I don’t get to see you…” Gabriel complained, shifting as Hanzo continued his steady inspection of Gabriel’s torso. He lifted a hand with a wicked chuckle, picking an unexpected place to put it, settling for his exposed, vulnerable side of his ribs. To Hanzo’s immense satisfaction, Gabriel jumped at the touch, then chuckled, suddenly understanding this game.

This went on for a while, Hanzo roaming Gabriel’s body with his hands and mouth. Trailing his finger up Gabriel’s arm, grazing his teeth across an erect nipple, grabbing one of those thick thighs, massaging the oil into his skin. After a time Gabriel stopped flinching as much, but Hanzo could still get him to jump from time to time. He was like Hanzo in many ways, he was vigilant to the point of paranoia; letting someone touch and explore his body completely unseen probably went against every instinct.

Hanzo always found the level of trust involved in restraining a lover, whether it be with rope or ridiculous fuzzy handcuffs, extremely erotic. Along with the simple visual bonus of watching them writhe in pleasure under his touch. But the fact that Gabriel could simply vaporize out of his restraints should have contradicted that. Instead Hanzo was almost _more_ intrigued. He got him to start so badly a few times parts of him started to fade, before he forced himself back into solid form. From past discussions Hanzo learned Gabriel vaporized out of reflex when startled more often than not. It had saved him from many a bullet. But that meant he didn’t simply trust Hanzo, he wanted it so badly he fought to _stay_ restrained. 

Hanzo worked his way between Gabriel’s legs, adding even more sensitive areas to his surprise groping. Gabriel jerked again and gasped as Hanzo took his cock into his mouth without warning. He pushed a slick finger against Gabriel’s hole. He’d teased long enough, his own erection back with a vengeance and throbbing. 

He grabbed the lube and began working Gabriel open, causing the man to squirm and moan, jangling the cuffs against the bed frame. Hanzo smiled at that, kissing and biting his meaty thigh playfully, causing him to jump yet again. 

Hanzo balanced on his knees looking over Gabriel as he writhed, two of Hanzo’s fingers lodged deep in his body, messaging that spot he seemed to love so very much. It was almost startling when Hanzo had to brace himself on Gabriel's leg—again nearly forgetting his missing prosthetics, he’d been so distracted exploring Gabriel. Admiring his perfect brown skin, glistening with oil, his cock twitching and jumping as he squirmed, the throbbing purple head oozing pre cum, dripping onto his already slick stomach. “I have never seen anything quite so...beautiful,” Hanzo purred.

“It’s so good—” Gabriel gasped, hardly able to form words. Finally Hanzo couldn’t take it anymore. He slicked up his cock, and hooked his arms under Gabriel’s knees, hoisting them up, folding them back, leaving him open and exposed. He nudged his cock against Gabriel’s hole, and pulled away as Gabriel moaned with anticipation. It would be too easy to just give Gabriel what he expected. Instead he teased him a few more times.

“Just fucking do it already,” Gabriel ordered, bringing a smile to Hanzo’s lips. He finally pushed in, spreading Gabriel’s tight hole until it swallowed the head of his cock, drawing a throaty groan from him. Hanzo pulled back out and applied another generous coating of lube, as Gabriel swore in frustration, before pushing just the head of his cock in once again, and again. Gabriel gasped and squirmed and tried to push up onto Hanzo’s cock but couldn’t, folded and restrained as he was. His breathing grew ragged with his desperation as the teasing continued.

“C’mon, fuck me. Just really fuck me please,” Gabriel moaned.

“Well, since you asked so nicely…” Hanzo murmured, lining up one more time before pushing inside in one slow motion, burying himself to the hilt. Gabriel’s back arched off the bed, gasping raggedly. Hanzo reached up and pulled the blindfold from his eyes, and Gabriel blinked up at him, almost looking delirious with pleasure. 

Hanzo leaned down, placing a devouring kiss on Gabriel’s lips before he began thrusting, setting a merciless pace that had Gabriel crying out in pleasure instantly. His muscles flexing as he fought against the restraints and his own pleasure. Hanzo’s hands dug into his thighs, half to keep them in place, half to keep his own balance as he pounded into Gabriel’s tight ass, relishing the sight of him as much as he did the squeeze and friction on his dick, torn between wanting to make it last, and wanting to see Gabriel cum as soon as possible. 

Gabriel’s cries turning into choked gasps, his back arching, cuffs grinding against the bars, his mouth opening to half form words too choked with pleasure to actually speak. Heat welled in Hanzo’s groin as he thrust, again and again and— 

_**CLANG** GGgggg_

They both froze, Hanzo buried in Gabriel’s ass, Gabriel’s eyes wide staring at his wrists which were now over his face and, still cuffed, but quite distinctly no longer attached to the bed. They both looked up to discover Gabriel had, in fact, broken the headboard. The solder attaching the heart to the rest of the frame had broken loose, allowing the decoration to bend forward.

“Oh… shit…” Gabriel said, reaching back to awkwardly try and bend the mangled pipe back in place, while Hanzo shook with silent laughter. 

“I suppose I did not consider you would break the bed,” Hanzo said with a laugh, before gently pulling out, letting Gabriel up from is awkward position. He quickly righted himself, and tried to bend the frame back into shape. 

“I didn’t mean to!” Gabriel said. Hanzo chuckled, reaching out to stop him. He grabbed his wrists, and unlatched one of the cuffs. At that, Gabriel _pouted_. “What, we’re not done, are we?”

“Of course not,” Hanzo murmured, leaning up to steal a kiss, before he moved Gabriel’s wrists behind his back, and re-clasped them into this new position. “To prevent any more property damage.”

Hanzo lay down on his back, guiding Gabriel into his lap. The man grinned, catching on instantly. He gazed down at Hanzo with that delectable look of lust burning in his eyes as he eagerly impaled himself on Hanzo’s cock, shuddering and groaning as he did. Moments later he was picking up nearly where they’d left off, a fresh bead of precum rolling down his slit. 

Hanzo rubbed and kneaded those gorgeous thighs as Gabriel set an urgent pace, riding Hanzo’s cock like an expert, his eyes closed, lips gently parted, head tilted back in ecstasy, taking exactly what he wanted even with his hands cuffed behind his back. Hanzo wasn’t sure he’d ever seen something quite so sexy.

Finally, Gabriel let out a stuttered, choked off cry as he came. White ropes of cum fell, one after the other, across Hanzo’s stomach as he rocked his hips, impaling himself deeper on Hanzo’s cock, milking his orgasm for all it was worth. The squeeze and push of Gabriel’s already tight hole on Hanzo’s throbbing member was almost too much. A few quick thrusts later and Hanzo tumbled over the edge, spilling deep inside.

Gabriel fell forward, panting, burying his face in Hanzo’s neck. 

“That was amazing,” Gabriel purred, nibbling Hanzo’s neck.

“Agreed,” Hanzo panted. He ran his fingers down Gabriel’s arms, trailing to the cuffs, undoing them for good this time. He tossed them aside, and Gabriel’s hands immediately found their way to Hanzo’s hair.

He felt Gabriel’s lips smile against his neck, and a warm puff of air against his skin as he huffed a soft laugh. “Use the rest of those toys tomorrow?”

Hanzo chuckled. “Agreed.”

They spent the rest of the evening tangled together, hands and lips lazily and gently exploring in the blissful haze of their afterglow, until sleep started to weigh heavily on their eyes. 

“We’re never going to spend that much time apart ever again. No matter what it takes. I swear…” Gabriel whispered into Hanzo’s hair, holding him close, sounding half asleep.

“I want to be by your side, always…” Hanzo murmured back.

“I love you, Hanzo…”

A thrill ran through Hanzo’s chest, his heart fluttering, while at the same time warmth flooded his body, from his head to his toes. It was soon but so natural, and welcome. It filled him with a sense of peace and contentment he thought long lost. He nuzzled closer, inhaling Gabriel’s scent, trying to annihilate any distance between them.

“I love you, Gabriel…”

* * *

Hanzo never thought he’d feel the biting, Antarctic air again, burning his face as he trudged through the snow. The Ecopoint was as empty and haunted as ever. The sled hissed quietly as he dragged it along. He looked at the familiar sights with a strange mixture of distrust and nostalgia. Though this time the loneliness of the place didn’t creep in as it had before. Because this time he wasn’t alone.

“How are you holding up?” Hanzo asked, glancing over his shoulder as Gabriel dragged his own sled, scanning their surroundings. 

“Hm? I’m fine. It’s weird coming back here,” he said. Hanzo nodded, in complete agreement. 

They found their way to the engineering building once again. It was eerie, seeing the place, like it was frozen in time. Almost nothing had changed. A few of Hanzo’s hastily draw up wards had blown down, and the tarps over their shelter were in even more tatters, it looked like the door blew open again after they left. Hanzo felt a strange pang of nostalgia looking at it. 

“I guess no one’s been here at all…” Gabriel said. He dropped the tether to his sled near the door and walked over to the shelter—or ‘blanket fort’ as Gabriel still referred to it. He smiled down at it as Hanzo came to stand by his side. 

Gabriel swept his hand at the disheveled pile of blankets with a crooked smile. “For old time’s sake?”

Hanzo shrugged, indulging him. Gabriel wandered into the shelter, or what remained of it, and flopped down on the pile of blankets, hands propped behind his head. Hanzo smiled as he knelt on the blankets next to him, only to find himself dragged into Gabriel’s arms a few moments later.

Hanzo, resigned to his fate, snuggled up against Gabriel’s side, as his arm looped around him. Gabriel grunted, a smile on his lips. 

“You know? There’s probably still frozen jizz one of these blankets…”

Hanzo snorted. “That’s what you’re thinking about right now?”

“I mean, not exclusively. But...a little weird to think of, right? I didn’t take the blanket with, did you?”

Hanzo shook his head. “Perhaps we should take it with us this time.”

“Yeah, would probably be polite…” Gabriel trailed off, staring at the ceiling.

Hanzo studied him for a time, reaching up to stroke his cheek. “Are you alright?”

“Why do you keep asking?”

Hanzo glared, the source of his concern should be obvious.

Gabriel sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Fine. I’m...I’m glad we’re doing this. It. It needed to be done.”

Hanzo nodded in agreement, nuzzling closer, giving Gabriel a gentle squeeze. He never really forgave himself for what happened to the scientists. Despite Hanzo’s many insistences that it wasn’t his fault. Knowing their spirits were restless seemed to haunt Gabriel... at least in a metaphorical sense. Thankfully they managed to leave the literal haunting behind.

Gabriel did some research into how to appease spirits, hoping to finally put them to rest. The bodies had long since been removed, and given their proper burials, but obviously that hadn’t done the trick. So he came up with another solution.

“I know it was freak coincidence that we met out here but...I can’t imagine what my life would be like without you right now,” Gabriel murmured, hugging his arm tightly around Hanzo. Hanzo hummed in his ear with a smile.

“Probably not back in Antarctica lying on a pile of blankets soiled with… ‘frozen jizz’,” Hanzo answered, his tone sagely. Gabriel snorted. 

“Probably…”

The two lay in silence for a long while, Hanzo’s memory flipping through the strange, distant, almost surreal events when they came together here. As time passed, it almost became harder and harder to believe. But laying there, curled up with Gabriel in too many layers, the bitter cold biting at his skin, it was like they never left. But at least now, leaving didn’t carry that bitter note of sadness. Only one transport sat parked outside, waiting for their return. 

Sombra had been true to her word, much to both their surprises, and helped Gabriel and Hanzo maintain their relationship, and their privacy as the months wore on. Though Widowmaker found out about their relationship; she discovered the truth through pillow talk with Sombra, a fact which both women were keen to keep quiet, so she could be trusted to keep her mouth shut as well. 

Moira also, inexplicably found out. How she managed was anyone’s guess, but she seemed to have zero interest in spreading the news. Instead she had a great deal of interest in “finding out what effect long term exposure to Gabriel’s nanite laced bodily fluids” would have on Hanzo, and regularly bothered him for hair, saliva, and even blood samples, which he routinely forcefully, but politely declined to give. He worried about the day she finally decided to simply blackmail them in the name of science, but for now she seemed mostly content to “let the experiment run.”

True to their promise, they never spent more than a few weeks apart at a time, and managed to spend more and more time together. Talon simply became resigned to Reaper’s regular “personal missions.” Most who knew enough to have any opinion on his behavior seemed to assume he was hunting Jack and Ana on his off time, a notion Gabriel found endlessly amusing.

Hanzo finally gave Gabriel a gentle pat. “We should get to work…”

Gabriel conceded with a reluctant grunt. They vacated the shelter, and headed back to their old nemesis: the computer. Its condition degraded a little in the year they’d been gone, but it was still better than when they first encountered it. As expected. hey had to set up lamps to light their work. The daylight hours were painfully short this time of year.

Hanzo felt the hair on the back of his neck prickling as twilight swallowed the building. He wasn’t sure if the spirits were really back already, or if it was just his anxious memory of those fraught evenings. They didn’t only work on the engineering computers this time, but they also worked on repairing the broken stasis pods. Hanzo was even more unsettled, looking into the empty cryo chambers that led to the scientists demises. But finally, the last systems they needed came online. 

They returned once again to their sleds. They were loaded not only with the equipment they needed to repair the computers, but also rations, emblazoned with the Overwatch seal, stolen from old abandoned bases...and of questionable freshness, but they didn’t think the ghosts would mind. Gabriel grabbed a transmitter, also stolen during their food raid, and punched in the authorization code. 

The computer surged off of standby back to life. _“Welcome Overwatch, commencing wake up routine,”_ the computer announced cheerfully. After a few breathless moments, another message finally flashed up on the screen. _“Wake up routine complete.”_ And with that, the entire Ecopoint seemed to spring to life. 

They dragged the supplies into the center of the room, unsure of where Overwatch was supposed to have delivered them, but this would probably do. 

“I’m sorry it took so long, guys…” Gabriel murmured. Hanzo put his hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Gabriel smiled sadly at him. “Of everything Overwatch did, and fucked up...I...this was one of the worst. To me. It’s not the largest loss of innocent life we caused. But those were always... Collateral. Tragic accidents. Usually we were at least trying to do something good and it failed. This was just...silence.” He shook his head. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

“I believe I understand. Hopefully they will understand,” Hanzo scanned the room once again, the unsettled feeling of the place seemed to melt away. The hairs on the back of his neck relaxed, and the icy air was simply cold, no longer thick with unease. Had it worked? It was difficult to know, impossible even. But for some reason Hanzo had the feeling it did put their souls at ease. He had no justifiable explanation for how or why he felt that, but he simply...did.

Hanzo slid his arm around Gabriel, tucking his face further into the high, warm collar of his coat. He closed his eyes, offering the spirits a silent prayer, and silent thanks. If it weren’t for them, he would have never truly gotten to know Gabriel. And now? He couldn’t imagine his life without him. 

“We should probably go,” Hanzo said. The other man nodded, and they slowly started towards the door, before a loud blast of static stopped them in their tracks.

 _“Thank you—Overwatch. Have a—safe… trip. Goodnight.”_ several clips of audio logs played over the speakers. The men stood in shocked silence as the room went quiet, and the computer powered down. 

Gabriel stared, shocked, gloved hand clasped over his mouth, eyes watering. Hanzo smiled, gathering him into his arms. “I think that means they forgive you,” Hanzo murmured. Gabriel held him back, nearly crushing, his breath hitching.

“Y-yeah. You’re right. We should go I— we should go before my tears start freezing to my face,” he said with a laugh, shuffling to wipe them away. Hanzo chuckled, giving Gabriel another squeeze. 

“You did a kind thing, Gabriel. It is no wonder that I love you.”

Gabriel smiled. “Does this mean we get to deal with your ghosts next?” Gabriel asked. 

“My ghosts?”

“Your living one, Genji.”

Hanzo blinked up at him, blanching a little. Gabriel chuckled, stealing a quick kiss.

“Whatever you decide. I’m here for you.”

“I know...and I...thank you.”

They made their way back to the transport, Hanzo’s arm wrapped tightly around Gabriel’s waist. They boarded, went through their pre flight routine, and soon enough were speeding away from the frozen continent. Hanzo couldn’t help but remember the last time he left. How homesick he felt, longing for Hanamura, longing for Gabriel. But not this time. Whenever he was with Gabriel he was already home. Perhaps it was finally time to mend things with Genji. And for the first time, with Gabriel by his side Hanzo believed, just maybe, he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope yall enjoyed my little adventure into rarepairland! Thanks for reading!


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